Theophilus Tetteh-Chai, the Greater Accra Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mrs Joyce Zempare, the Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the studios of Adom FM on Tuesday, argued extensively on the appointment of Prof Jane Opoku- Agyemang as the running mate to John Mahama.
Prominent among the issues raised and discussed were her gender and what she had done in her tenure-of-office as Education Minister and could do for Ghanaian women as the Vice President of the Republic.
Speaking on behalf of the NDC, Mr Tetteh-Chai, while bemoaning the swift manner in which the NPP some few hours after her appointment on Monday sought to assassinate her character in a press briefing, asserted that her acceptance by the Ghanaian populace indicated that Ghanaians love her and are ready to have a woman as the Vice President of the Republic.
According to him, Mr Mahama did not choose her for choosing sake, but did so because she is very competent as she had been able to deliver in all the various positions she held.
He said her achievements were testament to her competence.
He further stated that the NDC is proud to have a woman as the running mate to the presidential candidate and that when in power, she will help champion the cause of Ghanaian women.
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But in a quick rebuttal, Mrs Zempare noted that although she, as well as many Ghanaian women, were happy for a woman to be appointed the running mate of one of the biggest political parties in the country, the emphasis should not be on choosing any woman but rather a woman who has fought for the interest of Ghanaian women.
According to her, Prof Jane Opoku-Agyemang has done nothing to champion the interest of Ghanaian women.
“Yes we want a woman, but not just any woman,” she said on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on Tuesday.
Mrs Zempare argued that the kind, compassionate and God-fearing woman the NDC wants to portray her are false as such qualities are non-existent in her.
She made reference to the cancellation of the teacher training allowances, the denial of ‘common writing chalks’ for schools as well as the signing of the petition for the release of the ‘Montie three’ who threatened to rape the former Chief Justice, Georgina Woods, as examples.