Over the last week, my attention was drawn to a video on social media about comments made by Wontumi, a chairman from the ruling party of Ghana’s NPP political party about the 13 year old daughter of former President Mahama, and current flagbearer of the opposition NDC political party.
The unpalatable comments made in the Twi language, which can be translated as ‘so now what he does is that he posts his daughter indicating that she is now of age.
‘Someone will catch her and do something to her for him to realise that if you have a daughter you will hide her’.
Womtumi’s comments in no uncertain terms are abhorrent and inappropriate.
Especially when it is interpreted with sexual innuendo.
For someone in frontline politics to say such a thing about a young child is frankly unacceptable.
Regardless of whether that child’s parents work in a bank, are farmers or a former President.
We all know it’s commonplace during elections time for political parties to throw jabs at each other.
I don’t care about anyone’s political party and affiliations. Also, spare me the political party supporters and their blind support of their leaders; but wrong is wrong, and children should be off limits.
A few weeks ago, DJ Switch who is 12 years old and a little boy of about 2 years were subject to sexually inappropriate comments on social media by adults.
Both the adults in question apologised. There is a wider conversation about such comments about children in society as a whole.
Some view these kinds of comments as just mere loose talk and some even justify them as harmless.
I got to thinking; that if a former President’s young daughter can have such comments said about her, then I’m saddened for the average child in Ghana whose parents and family may not have influence or be rich or famous.
Who fights for them? We all have to do our best to protect all children every way we can. Maybe I’m just ‘too know’ as I have described online but I don’t think that such comments about children are acceptable, that’s just me.
Wontumi may or may not apologise for the comments he made. Or he may say that his comments were misinterpreted.
Well, now the police will deal with it.
(PS. To the bloggers/journalists that will use this post for click bait. Kindly do me the kind courtesy of just reporting factually without the skewed headlines).
AMA K Abebrese