Minister’s ethnocentric comments will hurt NPP – Presidential staffer(Clara Napaga Tia)

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]eputy Agriculture Minister, William Quaitoo’s “mere” apology for comments deemed insulting to people from northern Ghana, will not cut it, according to a presidential staffer, Clara Napaga Tia Sulemana.

Comments like this with ethnocentric undertones made the New Patriotic Party look bad in northern Ghana, she added.

“A mere apology is not what we are demanding but more. It is tribalistic statements like these from the very few ones like you that makes life very difficult for the NPP in the north,” Ms. Sulemana said in a Facebook post.

The Deputy Minister came under fire for suggesting in an interview on Star FM that the Nothern farmers’ damage assessment from armyworms for possible compensation could not be trusted and that calls for support were simply a ploy to fleece the government.

The Minority in Parliament has also demanded the immediate dismissal of Mr. Quaitoo from the government over disparaging comments.

Mr. Quaitoo subsequently apologised for his comments in a statement and said he prided himself as a Dagomba, having lived in the Northern Region for 27 years and said he could not “consciously spite them.”

[button color=”red” size=”big” link=”http://sahifa.ghananewspunch.com/minority-to-deputy-agric-minister-resign-for-insulting-northerners/” icon=”” target=”false”]Minority want Deputy Agric Minister to resign[/button]

‘Northerners deserve far better’

But Sulemana said the Deputy Minister was biting the hand that fed him with his painful comments.

“My dear Hon, we being as hospitable as we are, took you in and feed you for 27 years (I am sure you would have done more years If you had the chance to) and today you are biting same fingers that fed you.”

“Dagombas are Northerners, Ghanaians and are humans as well, who also have blood running through our veins. We deserve far better from your likes. It’s indeed painful. Those sitting unconcerned and making it look like it’s a small issue we are blowing out of proportion, today it’s about the Dagombas, tomorrow it might be you,” she said.

Find below her full post below:

So, here I am in bed, just struggling with myself to understand why on earth a deputy minister of state will look at the people who hosted him almost all his life(27 yrs) according to him, in the face and tell us we are difficult people and also that we lie to extort money from government. I am very sure this was said without any evidence.

My name is Napaga, a pure Dagomba royal (both parents). I was born, raised and educated in the northern part of Ghana with most of my education undertaken in Tamale.

I can say on authority that Dagomba are the most hospitable people I have encountered in my life. We might be coming from one of the poorest and most deprived areas in Ghana but that doesn’t mean we don’t have dignity or integrity. We are very “proud” people who respect ourselves and others so well irrespective of where you come from. We are one disciplined group of people who tread cautiously in our own space. You can confirm this from most southerners who have taken the Northern region as their homes.

We might not be rich as other regions but trust me, we are not hungry people. For several years, we have done mainly subsistent farming and have fed ourselves on it without much government intervention. Same subsistent farming has brought most educated Northerners where we find ourselves today. Therefore I find it very difficult that someone wakes up one morning and decide to label all of us liars and difficult people. Kaman how!!

Dagombas just like other tribes and humans surely will have some bad nuts but not a basis to label us all as difficult and liars. We might appear to be one defenseless, small, distorted poor tribe but we can be very loud if you want to take us for a ride. We surely will ‘fight ‘back if you disrespect us.

My dear Hon, we being as hospitable as we are, took you in and feed you for 27 years( I am sure you would have done more years If you had the chance to) and today you are biting same fingers that fed you. How interesting!

A mere apology is not what we are demanding but more .It is tribalistic statements like these from the very few  ones like you that makes life very difficult for the NPP in the north. Dagombas are Northerners, Ghanaians and are humans as well, who also have blood running through our veins. We deserve far better from your likes. It’s indeed painful. Those sitting unconcerned and making it look like it’s a small issue we are blowing out of proportion, today it’s about the Dagombas, tomorrow it might be you. When your neighbors house is on fire ? and you sit unconcerned, remember you might be next . We are one people and one ??

A Dagomba Girl feeling pained.

Napaga Tia Sulemana