Vice Chairperson of Parliament’s Appointment Committee, Adowa Safo, has criticized the Minority for boycotting Gender and Social Protection Minister Nominee, Otiko Afisa Djaba’s approval, because she confessed she hasn’t done her national service.
The Minority on Friday, boycotted Otiko Djaba’s approval after raising concerns about her failure to undertake her one-year mandatory national service, among other things.
But the NPP Dome Kwabenya Legislator on Citi FM said the Minority has no moral right challenging Otiko Djaba’s approval on that basis since some NDC Ministers including the former Deputy Minister for Local Government, Oti Bless, equally failed to meet that criteria but was approved, when the party was in power.
“Oti Bless was passed by majority decision, although he had also not done national service and even in his case, he was not serious. I am not doing equalization, but if you push to that level that is what we have to refer to.
In Oti Bless’ case, he even went to the Board and the Board gave him a waiver and it is not at the time that you are going into public office that you go and constitute a board to give you a waiver so you can appear before the Appointments Committee.”
“He that wants equity must come with clean hands. If they are crying out loud now, why were they not crying in Oti Bless’ era?. If the need be, we all have to move forward together but you cant come to equity when your hands are always soiled…”
In Adwoa Safo’s view, the Minority failed “to give themselves an opportunity to check” and only jumped into conclusions.
“They have drawn into conclusions that by hook or crook we are not going to reach a consensus on Madam Otiko Afisa Djaba,” she stated.
