Northerners have been asked to accept the apology of the resigned Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in good faith and forgive him.
Abraham Amaliba, who hails from Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, said “let’s forgive him and move on as a nation,” advising government appointees to be mindful of some of the statements they make when they are in the position of power.
Mr Amaliba was speaking on TV3’s New Day on Saturday as regards the resignation of William Agyapong Quaitoo, who succumbed to pressure after comments deemed ethnocentric.
He is accused of describing the people of the north as difficult to deal with though he claims he had stayed with them for years.
Though he later apologized, the Minority in Parliament and even other government officials demanded his resignation, describing his statements as distasteful.
On the extended version of New Day, Mr Amaliba said the Deputy Minister’s work would have been difficult after those comments if he had not resigned.
“He was going to be deputy minister of farmers down south,” he said.
According to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) man, it would have been difficult for Mr Quaitoo, who is also a Member of Parliament, to travel to the north for his work.
Therefore, he asked the people of the north to accept the outcome of their demands.
“I want the people of the north to forgive him.”
But Mr Amaliba cautioned government to turn a listening ear to the masses including farmers.
He said New Patriotic Party (NPP) governments are notorious for being elitist and passing disparaging comments against the underprivileged.
“Most of the things that they say come from their heart,” he said “[because] out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”
He advised the NPP to be wary how they treat the people they govern.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana