I attacked Jane Naana’s records not her gender – Buaben Asamoa

MP for Adenta and NPP Communications Director, Yaw Buaben Asamoa has hit back at critics including Betty Mould Iddrisu for implying that he made sexists comments in his reaction to the NDC’s running mate appointment.

Several female personalities and women groups including former NDC women leader Benyiwaa Doe have asked the NPP’s Communications Director to apologize for his comment that the selection of Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang shows former President Joh Mahama does not take Ghanaians seriously.

However, the MP insists that though Naana Jane has distinguished herself in her career, her political achievements are nothing to write home about.

“I said the political choice of Jane, John Dramani Mahama had nowhere to go, he was stuck. He couldn’t find his Bawumia clone, so he ended up with somebody who he believes cannot challenge him for 2024, because he knows he will lose 2020 and he will return in 2024 and therefore he doesn’t want a vice-presidential running mate who will challenge him to the nomination. No where did I say because she’s a woman.”

He went on “and you see as a politician, we will test her on her record and she has a record. ‘Is it not true that she presided over the cancellation of allowance, is it not true that she presided over the cancellation of research allowance?’ Every single thing we said in that statement is true of her as a politician. No where did I state her gender.”

Mr Buaben Asamoah thinks that an apology must rather be rendered by former Attorney-General Betty Mould Iddrisu to the former Education minister for insinuating she got the nod as a result of her gender.

He said “Betty Mould has insulted her by saying that it is because she is a woman that she’s been appointed as a presidential running mate.”

“Betty Mold should apologies to her for insinuating that she got her position because of gender. Betty Mould should apologize to Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings for attacking her for seeking to aspire to lead the NDC, and ganging up against her to leave the party she formed.”

He went on “I am not turning it on to her, she has goofed. I haven’t attacked a woman. That’s not in my mind at all. It’s politics. I have attacked a political record. And that political record cannot drive the NDC home to victory.

“Nowhere in my statement did I use gender as a basis for assessment. She is a very fine woman. She has distinguished herself in her career. But politically she is not someone who has done a great deal for the nation.”