Member of pressure group, OccupyGhana, Sydney Casely-Hayford, has indirectly asked for forgiveness for embattled Ghana’s High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng, who has received severe bashing from Ghanaians for making some comments described as irresponsible and divisive.
Although the diplomat has apologized for the comments, some Ghanaians argue that it is not enough and are asking for his dismissal.
But Speaking on Citi FM’s news analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Sidney Casely-Hayford, who’s group had demanded an apology from Mr. Ayisi Boateng, said the beleaguered diplomat has learnt his lesson and must be pardoned.
[contextly_sidebar id=”WTc3DFHvN1gWJFKn8VTVVwTfaDpok3Tt”]“…For him to have said what he said was just a silly remark… the beauty of what we [Ghanaians] did is that we went as far as getting Ayisi to render an apology. He had a choice, either he resigned, unreservedly apologize or he was sacked by Nana Akufo-Addo. As OccupyGhana, we issued our position on it. He decided to take the one that was most tolerable to him and gave his unreserved apology.”
As to whether the apology was enough, Mr. Casely-Hayford said: “I think the lesson has gone down – politicians should now be very careful with what they say, where they say it and what they intend to imply when they say it.”
Backgroud
Mr. Ayisi Boateng has been in the news for saying that his first priority is to members of the NPP, and that if he had his own way, members of the party’s Tertiary Students’ Confederacy Network (TESCON), will be prioritized for various jobs.
He also said he considers NPP members as more Ghanaians than others.
“…this government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that I’m here, so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian take it or leave it,” he said.
His comment invoked a public uproar with some Ghanaians as well as civil society organizations calling on the president to fire him.
However, there has not been any official response from the Flagstaff House on the issue, after he was reportedly invited there for a meeting that culminated in him issuing an apology.
By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin