The Deputy National Women’s organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Madam Abigail Elorm Mensah has asked Hon Afenyo Markins, the Majority Leader to apologize to women for his attack on Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang in parliament. She describes the attack as shameful, despicable and above all, an attack on womanhood.
“I call on you to do the needful by apologizing unconditionally to Professor Opoku Agyemang as a person and Women in general for the denigration of womanhood.”
The call follows an unfortunate comment by the legislator during the debate of the president’s state of the Nation’s address. Madam Abigail in her reaction said she
has become aware of an unfortunate and despicable attack on the person of the NDC’s 2024 Running Mate- Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang by the Mojority Leader, Hon. Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
As a Ghanaian Woman and a Deputy National Women’s organizer, condemns the shameful act in no uncertain terms and call on the legislator to do the needful by apologizing unconditionally to Professor Opoku Agyemang.
She reminds Hon Afenyo Markin to appreciate the collective effort of the country to encourage more women participation in decision making and also the international commitment for women inclusivity .
This effort should rather be a motivation to support women rather than attempt to derail this noble agenda.
She said,
Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang is not just a woman, but an accomplished and celebrated Woman of society.
Her credentials as an Academic, Scholar, First Female Vice Chancellor of a Public University, Education Minister among others, endears her to all women and is indeed a trailblazer.
Her achievements at the Education Ministry are very remarkable and obvious to downplay.
Politically, Prof. Opoku Agyemang’s maiden selection as President John Mahama’s 2020 Running Mate made her the first female Running Mate or Vice Presidential Candidate by a major political party in Ghana.
Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang’s emergence onto the political landscape has undeniably brought decency and dignity to the position of Running Mate.
It is therefore not surprising that her selection as Running Mate in 2020 helped the NDC to significantly increase its parliamentary strength in the Central Region by moving from Four (4) to Thirteen (13) Parliamentary Seats.
Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang’s credentials, track record and political achievements obviously makes the NPP jittery and uncomfortable, hence this shameful well-rehearsed personal attacks on her.
It is quite ironically that a Party that forced a man aged over 70 years on Ghanaians in 2016, is today campaigning against an accomplished Woman on grounds of age.
Such attacks by Afenyo Markins and others are intended to strengthen political stereotyping against women and crowd out women out of the already masculine political space.
As a woman, I call on fellow women to rally strongly behind Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang in her quest to make history as the First Female Vice President of Ghana.
Let us make history together; and let’s us bring pride to womanhood.
God bless us all, and God bless our nation Ghana.
