GAPA Condemns Mr. Hassan Ayariga‟S Ideas About The Causes Of Albinism

Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism-GAPA, states categorically that Mr. Hassan Ayariga‟s ideas about the causes of albinism are not only wrong, unscientific and disappointing but are also incapable of surviving the test of common sense. They have also cast a slur on the quality of people parading the streets and asking for the votes of the good people of Ghana and further lower them in terms of knowledge and competence as compared with their counterparts in Europe, America, Asia, to mention a few.

Speaking on Class FM on Tuesday may 31, Hassan Ayariga said “I did some survey and I was told anybody can give birth to an albino, but the process is this way: „…If your wife is bleeding and in the process you are too hungry and you don‟t want to wait until it‟s over, and you decide to do the thing while she‟s bleeding, in the process if she gets pregnant – you know some [women] can get pregnant even while bleeding – that is when that particular child [albino] is born.‟ That‟s what I‟m told, because of the process of blood [flow]. So, if in that process it happens that there are some women, who are too fertile even as they bleed, [then they can give birth to an albino].”

As a presidential aspirant, one would have expected that Mr. Hassan Ayariga would have got experts and technocrats who would research and analyze issues to enable him base public discourses on empirical evidence rather than speaking whimsically and capriciously. Knowing that he was expressing his sentiments rather than speaking factually, Mr. Hassan Ayariga could not tell the listeners where and when he did his survey, type of survey he did, the sample characteristics and size, the methodology used in collecting and analyzing his data, that led to his conclusion that children born with albinism are products of sexual intercourse between man and woman while the woman is menstruating.

From every indication, Mr. Hassan Ayariga needs basic education on the causes of albinism. Mr. Hassan Ayariga, listen and learn! Albinism is an inherited genetic condition caused by lack of the

pigment melanin, which gives color to the hair, skin and eyes. Person with albinism must inherit copies of the gene from each parent in order to have the condition.

Most persons with albinism have white skin, white hair, and no pigment in the eyes. The iris (colored part of the eye that encircles the pupil) is a pale bluish pinkish color, while the pupil may actually be red. This redness comes from light entering the pupil and reflecting of blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue lining the back of the eyeball.

Normally, the pupil appears black because pigment molecules in the retina absorb light entering the eye, preventing it from bouncing back to the outside world which explains why most persons with albinism, have sight problems.

GAPA believes that somethings are better ignored than attended and such GAPA calls on the general public to ignore Mr. Hassan Ayariga‟s verbal diahorrea with the contempt that it deserves. GAPA also wishes to advise Mr. Hassan Ayariga to do his homework before making public statements.

Finally, GAPA calls on the government of Ghana to set up a competent non-partisan body to assess the high academic credentials that are being flashed in our faces and used as qualifications to occupy positions of trust in the country. GAPA believes that people who hold doctrine degrees like Hassan Ayariga and are as competent as he is should spare Ghana by not taking up any leadership position

For more information kindly contact the National Advocacy Officer on 0206603388 or WhatsApp 0244739094.

………..Signed………..

Adam Abdul Wahab
(National Advocacy Officer)