The much-criticized pledge by Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng, to prioritize the welfare of New Patriotic Party members before considering other Ghanaians, may have been taken out of context, the Acting National Chairman of the NPP, Freddy Blay has suggested.
Mr. Ayisi Boateng’s resolve to put NPP members first came to the fore during a meeting with the party’s Tertiary Students’ Confederacy Network (TESCON) in Kumasi.
[contextly_sidebar id=”ibQGKpGOEaHV3qidpn92N4LPoA2N4d4v”]The comments have been met with outrage and calls for his dismissal from some sections of the public. But Mr. Blay, who said he had not heard the comments yet, said the missions obviously viewed all Ghanaians as equal.
In his brief comments on the matter, the NPP chairman said, “assuming that is what is said, maybe he is speaking within a context. Definitely, Missions are established not to serve partisan interests but to serve the interests of this country and the people of Ghana generally.”
Ayisi defends comments
But Mr. Ayisi Boateng seems to be clear about what he said, insisting that there was nothing wrong with putting his party people first, who he described as “more Ghanaian than others.”
Speaking on Kumasi-based Abusua FM on Tuesday after the public uproar, Mr. Ayisi Boateng said he still stands by his words.
“I didn’t speak evil at all… When you have a large family but you first make your wife and children eat first before others, what is wrong with that? I am not divisive. E.T Mensah is my senior colleague, when he came to South Africa, find out what I did for him. I have not said anything bad, I stand by my words,” he said.
Some former presidents of TESCON commended him for making public his commitment to Prioritising NPP members.
Calls for the axe
The Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to immediately terminate Mr. Ayisi Boateng’s appointment as High Commissioner, saying his comment is divisive and reprehensible.
Guilty Akufo-Addo can’t sack Ayisi Boateng – Avedzi
But the Deputy Minority leader, James Klutse Avedzi believes President Akufo-Addo will not be able to gather the needed courage to dismiss under-fire High Commissioner to South Africa.
He said the President Akufo-Addo, like Mr. Ayisi Boateng, has also demonstrated a commitment to prioritizing NPP members.
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By: Kojo Agyeman & Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana