'It's Becoming Unbecoming ": Who's Stirred The Hornest's Nest?

My doctor tells me I would need heavy doses of irony and sarcasm. Why? Because he who tackles absurdity and hypocrisy in politics must get that concoction, to help alleviate the nagging pain, he says.

Indeed, something is trending in the airwaves.
It's garnered a lot of attention and debate in the political landscape. Women are talking about it, men are talking about it. And it appears everyone is talking about it. What is it? It's about the Mahama choice.

Really? No kidding, the selection of Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman as John Mahama's running mate has ignited lots of talk. So let's also talk about it.

Did you know this?
That even the Professor's son-- Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang has joined the debate. He says critics have missed the point and they might've missed the bus too. Who are they to question his mother's pedigree and what she brings to the Mahama NDC ticket? In effect, he's asking the critics to cast the beam out of thine own eye, then they can see clearly to remove the mote in their neighbour's eye.

"As far as it's possible, this campaign will be based on track records, ideas and policy. Be prepared to respond to criticisms of your side instead of simply dishing it out to others. Thankfully, facts don't lie.

Let the debate strategies and general politics continue," he said.

Who's stirred the hornest's nest?
A women group called Gratia Women of Substance Network has given NPP Communications Director Yaw Buaben Asamoa a 48-hour ultimatum to retract some disparaging remarks he's purported to have made at NPP press conference on Monday, following the selection of the academic as NDC vice presidential candidate.

Hetty Ken an executive of the group said:
"I don't know if it's a track record of the NPP, anytime a woman is appointed they have a name to call that woman. Either she is a prostitute or she has used her womanhood to get the position, this is so absurd it's becoming unbecoming. We want to put an end to it."

That's politics for you. It wears double face.
It can act silly. In moments of silliness it still can find friends-- some of them boot-lickers, some of them sycophants, and some of them eye-servers.

Today it's Yaw Buaben Asamoa. Tomorrow it will be (General Mosquito) Kwabena Asiedu-Nketia.

Just remember, it's politics!
It's all about us and not about them. It doesn't matter how we do it, how we say it and how we go about it. We like it just the way it is. It's about our interest.

You don't seem to get it, I say it's about our interest la.

More than a century ago whilst trekking the Apian way near 'Susubiribi', a monk (friar) who was a friend told me this: The site where Julius Caesar was murdered in 44 BC is now a no-kill animal shelter for homeless cats.

I still recall, when Aaron's beard was on fire, it didn't appear to warn his brother Moses that danger was imminent. It could be him tomorrow, but he seemed to be oblivious of the wrath to come.

Yaw, trouble bi dis!
Did you say Prez. Mahama doesn't take Ghanaians serious with his selection of the Professor?

Yeah, I said something like that. Like what?
I said: “We can only conclude that the choice of Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman by Mr John Dramani Mahama is a clear indication that he does not take the Ghanaian electorate seriously."

Has the Presidency called you yet, I'm talking about the Jubilee House? Not yet. I bet they'll call you.

Meanwhile, the group says the Adenta MP's attack is an attack on all women in the country and he must offer an unqualified apology.

“This woman is a very intelligent woman and who would say she has used her womanhood for this position; nobody. So we are telling him, within 48-hours he must come out and apologize to Professor or else what will happen on December 7th he will see it.”

The group has stressed that if the legislator did not meet their ultimatum,:“oh he will lose his seat. I am throwing a challenge to the NPP that for Adenta seat he will lose it and that is minus one from their members of parliament," she said.

What is Gratia?
It stands for women in Ghana irrespective of which party you belong. The group was formed in late 2019 to empower women in politics and in society, however, it is not a political group.

The group noted that “we realized that there are so many women who are very intelligent, capable, confident but they don’t have what it takes to come out to take up positions.”

“So, it will take some of us who are in it, well experienced to empower, train, groom them to come out.It’s an advocacy group for women. We are not speaking only for NDC women but for all women. Gratia group stands for women in Ghana, irrespective of which party you belong to," Ms. Hetty noted.

And check who is now doing the shopping for NDC---the Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.

“If he [John Mahama] wanted a woman, when they were mentioning some women who have demonstrable competence who have risen through this House to establish themselves firmly in the feminist [sphere], one such person could have been Hanna Tetteh”, he told the Parliamentary press corps.

“For a ticket, John Mahama is a communicator, so, you want a person who is a lawmaker or a lawyer, who will add value to the governance architecture”, he argued.

And would NDC buy that. Who buys an ammunition from a sworn enemy?

By Gordon Offin-Amaniampong