<<Print>>

Director of Communications of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President John Mahama to sack Sports Minister, Nii Lante Vanderpuye for mocking the height of the party’s presidential candidate if he is really committed to a clean campaign ahead of the December polls.

According to Nana Akomea, the conduct of the Sports Minister who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Odododiodio contradicts the president’s call for a clean campaign devoid of insults and personal attacks.

Nii Lante Vanderpuye has come under a barrage of attacks after his comments at the campaign launch of the NDC in the Central Region that “the presidency is not for short people.”

Though he did not name anyone as the target of his comment, the description fits the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, who is the only presidential candidate in the race who is short.

The campaign spokesperson for the NDC, Joyce Bawah Mogtari later said that the comment of the Sports Minister was a figure of speech.

But speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Monday, Nana Akomea said the comment of the Minister if not dealt with will open the flood gates for similar jabs at the President.

“President Mahama said we have an Olympic gold medal in insults but on the same platform, your Minister of Sports was insulting people on the same platform,” he stressed.

The NPP Director of Communications could not fathom why a 'whole Minister of State' would descend into the gutters at such an important programme like a campaign launch.

Nana Akomea noted that, as a matter of urgency, the Sports Minister should be sacked or be forced to render an unqualified apology for the gaffe.