Presidential staffer Napaga Tia Sulemana has described as “painful” comments by Deputy Minister of Agriculture, William Quaittoo who referred to northerners as “liars” and “difficult” people.
Even though the lawmaker has apologised unreservedly for his comments, the presidential staffer who is a native of that part of the country took to Facebook to express her pain over the matter saying the MP’s apology was not enough.
Below is her full post:
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(27yrs) 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 decides 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 fed 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 make 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 neighbour’s 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
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... please please forgive... it was slip of tongue
EVEN THOUGH I DISAGREE WITH THE HON DEPUTY MINISTER BUT WHAT CAN I DO AFTER HE HAS APOLOGISE AS THE SAYING GOES TO ERR IS HUMAN. BUT OUR OWN H.E. JDM SAID A SIMILAR THING IN 2015 WHEN HE RECONSTITUTED SADA BOARD AND MANAGEMENT WITH THE INCLUSION OF SOME SOUTHENERS LIKE DR GRACE BEDIAKO AND MANY OTHERS. THE FORMER PRESIDENT AND HIS MINISTERS WERE ALL OVER SAYING THAT THE RECONSTITUTED SADA WAS COMPETENT AND HARDWORKING GHANAIANS WHO WILL NOW TURN THINGS ROUND AND MAKE SADA A VIBERANT ORGANISATION THAT CAN ACHIEVE RESULTS AND ALL OF US WERE CLAPPING FOR HIM YET IT WAS AN INSULT TO US BECAUSE THE INITIAL BOARD WAS ALL NORTHENERN DOMINATED LIKE ALHAJI SEIDU GILBERT IDDI, ALHAJI ALHASSAN ANDANI, DR JABUNI AND MANY THAT BROUGHT SADA ON ITS NEEDS WITH THE EXTRAVAGANT PERDIEM AND CORRUPT TREE PLANTING EXERCISE UPTO DATE NOTHING HAVE BEEN DONE TO NAME AND SHAME THEM. SO HON NAPAGA TIA I UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELING LETS FORGIVE HIM AND MOVE ON.
Please my brothers. Learn to accept your faults when it is brought to your attention.Some farmers are given improved seedling to improve their farming methods in a selected community. Some of the farmers decided to rather sell the improved seedlings to other farmers outside the community and used the proceeds to buy inferior seedlings .This then defeated the purpose of the intervention by the development partners. This is real. Sometimes because of poverty some people behave in a manner that a rational being would not do.. This however does not apply to everybody so when a apology has been rendred please accept it and rather the people concerned should be advised to do the right thing always since their actions and in actions turn to affect the whole Northern Region and beyond.
IS ONLY A ***barred word*** WHO INTENTIONALLY INSULT, DISRESPECT OTHERS JUST TO SAY AM SORRY AND GET PEOPLE LIKE HIM TO DEFEND HIM... WE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS....
THESE ARE THE THINGS THEY DO AND TURN ROUND TO SAY WE ARE DIFFICULT.....YES WHY WONT US BE DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF HYPOCRITES LIKE THE MINISTER WE KNOW SOME OF YOU DONT LIKE US BUT WE LOVE THE PARTY.GOD FORGIVE YOU
MADAM, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT LIES BREEDS DIFFICULTIES, CORRUPTION, NEPOTISM, AND STEALING? HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT FORMER PRESIDENT JDM?
AFTER ALL THE MINISTER HAD APOLOGIZE PERSONALLY AND THE CHRISTIAN COUNCIL OF GHANA HAD EVEN APOLOGIZE ON THE MINISTER'S BEHALF; SO WHAT ARE YOUR PROBLEMS, CHALLENGES OR YOU BEEF AT ALL? DID YOUR FORMER PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA EVEN APOLOGIZE TO ASHANTIS AND GHANAIAN AS SUCH? GIVE US A BREAK
WOMAN AND PEOPLE OF THE THREE (3) NORTHERN REGIONS, YOU PEOPLE FORGOTTEN WHAT YOUR MAN AND FORMER PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA TOLD THE ASHANTIS RIGHT ON THEIR SOIL / LAND: I '' ASHATIS ARE UNGRATEFUL PEOPLE EVEN WHEN YOU TARRED THEIR ROADS WITH GOLD THEY WILL NEVER APPRECIATE IT'' LET US THINK AND REASON PROPERLY FOR THE NATION'S DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OKAY. HYPOCRITE AND PARASITES; LET ME TELL YOU A FRIEND MINE IN THE INSTITUTION WAS DIE-HARD NDC ACTIVIST BUT PRETENDED HE IS AN NPP ACTIVIST (I DON'T WANT TO MENTION NAME (S) HERE); FINALLY BEING GIVEN A LUCRATIVE POSITION IN PRESIDENT NANA ADDO DANQUAH AKUFO ADDO'S NPP GOVERNMENT. YOU ARE VERY DIFFICULT PEOPLE AND EVERY BODY KNOW THIS GHANA. CALL A SPADE A SPADE NOT A DIGGING TOOL. LET US THINK OF OURSELVES, I REST MY CASE PERIOD.
Madam, apology is enough. to me you seem to be confirming what he said in part: northerners are difficult. If you are easy and simply an apology should be enough. what does he do now? what will be your gain if he resigns? if you think of ewe or ashantis, a lot had been said against them by our politicians. not even apology is rendered to them but they brush them off. they know what they say of them may not be true. I also believe that the man may be encountering problems truly from your people, or at least, had encountered serious difficulty dealing with you. again, he had, from your own account lived many years with you. it is not so surprising for someone who knows you very well to comment about you. Lastly, you have told a lie. you said most of the northern elites reached where they are through subsistence farming: they have rather benefited from various interventions, scholarships, grants, aid, etc. you people always say you are poor but you are not. many wealthy Ghanaians are northerners but they rather don't want to invest or develop the north and always describe they region as poor. the phrase 'poor regions' is a lie to benefit more at the expense of others. stop this your hypocrisy, i am also writing from my bed.
THOUGH I DISAGREE WITH THE MINISTER'S COMMENTS AND I MUST SAY IT IS UNFORTUNATE. I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE BLAMED AT YOUR VERY DOORSTEP AND YOU ALSO CONTRIBUTE A QUOTA OF THE REASON WHY PEOPLE RAIN INSULTS ON YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE. WHILST YOU STRUGGLE IN LIFE TO OCCUPY HIGH OFFICES ON THIS LAND, INSTEAD OF YOU TO LOOK BACK FROM WHERE YOU CAME FROM WITH THE MINDSET OF DEVELOPING YOUR OWN REGION, YOU CHOOSE TO STAY IN ACCRA AND FORGET ABOUT YOUR OWN PEOPLE. LEAVING THEM IN ABJECT POVERTY WHILST FEW OF YOU ENJOY WITHOUT THINKING THAT THE RESOURCES YOU HAVE, IF CHANNELED TO YOUR REGION CAN MAKE AN IMPACT. ITS SAD AND ABOUT TIME YOU THINK TWICE.