Deputy Agric Minister’s resignation likened to Jesus Christ’s sacrifice - MP

The Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, says just as Jesus Christ sacrificed his life for Christians to gain salvation, the immediate past Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Crops, William Agyapong Quaitoo has also sacrificed for the appointees of President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP is, therefore, calling on all government appointees to be mindful of whatever they say because Ghanaians will not forgive them if they make comments that are unacceptable.

Deputy Minister William Agyapong Quaitoo succumbed to pressure as he finally resigned from his position for comments considered ethnocentric during a radio interview.

The Deputy Minister came under intense criticism for days after passing the comments, which were against the people from the north in the wake of the armyworms invasion. Following the round condemnation, Mr. Quaitoo “unreservedly, retracted and apologized sincerely” for his comments.

But the Minority members in Parliament who described his comments as “unprovoked attack on the people of the three northern regions” demanded his resignation. Mr Quaitoo, who is also Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, therefore, tendered in his resignation letter to the President.

The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, who announced on his Facebook page Tuesday did not state when the Deputy Minister submitted his resignation letter.

Contributing to the discussion on TV3’s New Day hosted by Bright Nana Amfoh on Wednesday, the MP for Ledzokuku said, “It’s a good thing he has resigned because some people were jittery in their apologies and it was good he apologized”.

Dr. Okoe Boye added: “He has sacrificed himself for the greater body because in a group, there must be sacrifice and the way a group can learn is to sacrifice”. “So every minister or government appointee that will speak will know that there is a price for it. You have to be guided by statements,” the MP cautioned.

The former North Dayi Member of Parliament, George Loh, said “it could have happened to everybody because this whole idea of the fall army worm has been in the corners of lies”.

“After the Agric Minister came to parliament, it was clear that he was lying because people are sending pictures of what is going on in farms yet the Minister came to tell us the fall army worms have been eradicated,” the NDC man noted.

Lawyer Loh said the former Deputy Minister was rather defending bad deeds. “He was defending his minister who has lied and at the close of day, he tried to aid a lie and he fell in this kind of trap.

“People must learn because if you work in a corporate world and you say things, it stays there in the office but the moment you come to the public limelight it is different.

It is easy to be out there and say everybody is talking and so you will do same.” Commenting on the argument that the number of appointees by the President has been reduced by one and so there should be no replacement, Mr. Loh said “if you look at what we are spending on the 110 minister and the result that we are getting, did we go or did we come?