Mr. Bagbin’s comments were in reference to Mahama’s appointment of Dr. Seidu Danaa, who is visually impaired, as Minister for Chieftaincy Affairs.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer hopeful, Alban Bagbin, has criticised John Mahama’s decision to appoint a “blind man” as Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs during his time as president.
Mr. Bagbin’s comments were in reference to Mahama’s appointment of Dr. Seidu Danaa, who is visually impaired, as Minister for Chieftaincy Affairs.
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According to the Second Deputy Speaker, blind persons are “not whole” and therefore are unfit to lead a ministry that handles chieftaincy affairs.
“In our tradition if you are not whole can you be a chief or a queen mother? So when you form a government and make the minister for chieftaincy a blind person, and the chiefs are objecting and you don’t change it, what are you telling the chiefs?” Mr. Bagbin said whiles speaking to delegates in the Volta region.
He therefore attributed such appointments by former president Mahama to the NDC’s heavy loss in the 2016 elections.
“These are facts I’m stating, I have not added anything. You all know it but maybe you may not have appreciated the impact on what happened. And when some of us are close and we can foresee it and we say it, then they are called upon to insult us,” he added.
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Mr. Bagbin’s comments come after he also chastised Mahama for appointing Dr. Omane Boamah – a man he described as a “stammerer” – as Communications Minister.
“When Prof [Atta Mills] was in power, Haruna Iddrisu was our linguist in charge of communication, when my brother John [Mahama] came to power, he substituted him for Dr Omane Boamah who is a natural stammerer.
“He is a very intelligent boy, he is smart but when he is speaking, he wastes time in coming out and Ghanaians do not have that much patience, so, they are always looking for those that are rattling.
“So, even though you might have a good message, you will not succeed in marketing that message because somebody is there from the other side rattling and they are listening to him, so, we came down,” he previously told some delegates whiles seeking their mandate.