The Wa Central MP, Rashid Pelpuo is unimpressed by attempts to commend the Akufo-Addo administration following the recent resignation of the immediate past Deputy Agriculture Minister, William Quaitoo.
“That is an individual who decided to resign. What has that got to do with the government?” Mr. Pelpuo quizzed on The Big Issue.
“He [William Quaitoo] decided that he wanted to resign and he resigned and the government accepted his resignation. It has got nothing to do with an effort by the government, at least, on the face value.”
Mr. Quaitoo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, faced the scorn of the public, the National Democratic Congress Minority, and some civil society groups, for making ethnocentric comments, after saying northern farmers could not be trusted in their assessment of the damage from the army worm.
Mr. Quaitoo also said the calls on government for compensation by the northern farmers were simply a ploy to fleece the state.
The resignation was welcomed by the public but Mr. Pelpuo was adamant that the “government hasn’t done anything heroic.”
Under the Mahama Administration, he noted that the likes of the Transport Minister, Dzifa Attivor and Power Minister, Kwabena Donkor resigned for varying reasons.
Dzifa Attivor was embroiled in the SMARTTYS bus branding saga and Kwabena Donkor’s resignation was related to the country’s crippling power crisis.
Mr. Pelpuo further said the eventual course of events was the only way the government could have saved face.
“It would be more embarrassing for the government if the President said; ‘I don’t accept your resignation’ and then the Minister insisted that he resign. It would have been more embarrassing,” he said.
The presidency had indicated that William Quaitoo, resigned on his own volition.
On the question of possible sanctions for the former Deputy Minister, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin explained that the President was engaged in other activities in some regions hence could not take an immediate decision.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana