Political Scientist Professor Ransford Gyampo has described as “infuriating” the apology rendered by Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin for his disparaging comments on former Ministers Dr. Omane Boamah and Dr Seidu Danaa.
Bagbin on Tuesday, August 28 called a press conference to address the massive public backlash he received following unprovoked diatribe against Dr Boamah and Dr Danaa in a bid to undermine the appointing competence of former President John Mahama.
He attributed the poor performance of the previous NDC government in the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections to the appointment of the two disabled persons – a stammerer Dr Boamah and Dr Danaa, a blind person.
However, after a massive public outcry over what many deemed as an attack on physically challenged people in the country, Bagbin who is hoping to lead the NDC in the 2020 elections retreated and apologized—conditionally though.
“I assure all Ghanaians especially, Ghana Federation of the disabled, other Civil Society Organisations, and the NDC family who by one way or other felt offended by my alleged comments of my respect and support for persons with disability.
“I render my heartfelt apology to you all. I want to take full responsibility for the indiscretion in going public with issues that should otherwise be private to the NDC,” he told a news conference in Accra Tuesday.
But speaking to Starr News’ Professor Gyampo described Bagbin’s stubbornness in rendering an unconditional apology as provocative.
“A simple apology rendered unreservedly would have sufficed. But in my view what he has done is an infuriating apology that worsens his plight,” he told Starr News’ Atiewin Mbillah-Lawson on Starr Today.
“In politics and also culturally, there are certain truths that are made to remain in private. You don’t go public with them…especially if it’s about peoples’ disabilities and all that.
“You don’t make disparaging remarks simply because people have certain disabilities. It’s a no, no and like I said the other time it does not only dent or undermine your chances among those population but even those who are not affected by those disabilities,” he added.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
