Nana Yaa Jantuah, a Presidential Staffer, has announced plans to petition Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin over comments made by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
According to Nana Yaa Jantuah, he is old enough to be Afenyo-Markin’s mother mother adding that the minority leader is a small boy in her eyes.
Nana Yaa Jantuah disclosed that she would formally petition Speaker Alban Bagbin to demand that the Minority Leader retract his remarks.
The Presidential Staffer argued that Afenyo-Markin’s comments were unacceptable.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM later on Thursday, Nana Jantuah expressed deep disappointment over the Minority Leader’s comments.
Nana Yaa Jantuah stated, “I am old enough to be your mother. Afenyo-Markin is a small boy in my eyes. Who is he to disrespect me? He should never try that again”.
“I will petition the Speaker for Afenyo-Markin to withdraw what he said. He used to call me ‘Senior.’ What has changed? I am so mortified. I cannot comprehend what happened,” she added.
The development follows Alexander Afenyo-Markin, who indirectly referred to her as a “nobody” during the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) recently concluded “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, has expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to assign only Presidential Staffer Nana Yaa Jantuah to receive its petition during the party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration.
According to Afenyo-Markin, the government’s decision to assign only Presidential Staffer Nana Yaa Jantuah to receive its petition is disrespectful to the party.
He argued that the NPP had sent its key leadership to present the petition as a sign of respect to the government.
Afenyo-Markin noted that the decision to send only Nana Yaa Jantuah to receive the document did not reflect the seriousness of the concerns raised by the party.
He highlighted that the delegation included the Minority leadership in Parliament, the NPP General Secretary, the Chief of Staff of the party’s flagbearer, the Chairman of the party’s Constitutional Committee, Members of Parliament and other senior party officials.
The minority added that the government’s action suggested that it did not attach importance to the issues raised by the demonstration.
Speaking during the presentation of the petition at the Presidency on Thursday, August 6, Mr Afenyo-Markin stated, “With great respect and without prejudice to your presence, to nominate only you to come amounts to disrespecting us as a political party”.
“But to disrespect our democracy by only nominating you to come, it means the government does not take seriously the great issues before us,” he stated.
However, Nana Yaa Jantuah has responded to Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin after he indirectly referred to her as a “nobody”.
Nana Yaa Jantuah, who received the petition on behalf of the Presidency, expressed her disappointment over the Minority Leader’s alleged remarks.
Addressing the demonstrators and the media, she stated, “I assure you that this petition is going to get to the President and this is democracy at work. If the NPP can come to the Flagstaff House to present its petition, then no one can say democracy is under attack.
“Everybody knows what today represents. Today is the memorial day for the eight gallant heroes who fell. I’m, however, surprised that an Honourable Leader would say that I am a nobody. I want to assure you that I am a senior member of government and this petition will be delivered directly to the President. They should also remember that in this country, there are laws put in place to regulate our lives and our conduct,” she said.
@ghnow_ The NPP’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration took place earlier today, with thousands of party supporters, leaders, and Minority MPs taking to the streets to protest what they described as threats to Ghana’s democratic principles. The demonstration concluded with protesters presenting a petition at Jubilee House after a heavy police presence secured the area.
♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ NPP Leadership Joined the “Democracy Under Attack” Demonstration earlier today #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
