A pressure group— the Northern Forum for Peace and Development (NOFPED) — has lodged a strong protest against the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, for describing natives of northern Ghana as greedy and dishonest people.
“You see, northerners are people that when you are dealing with them you have to be very, very careful. Because of the poverty level, the people are very, very greedy people, you know.
“And they don’t tell the truth. They don’t. So, all the time, you have to be very careful to listen to them and find out the information because most of the things that they would say is wrong,” the regional minister had told Media Without Borders in an interview on the mining industry in the north.
Addressing journalists at a news conference Sunday in the Upper East Region’s capital, Bolgatanga, NOFPED described the regional minister’s comments as demeaning to all northerners and detrimental to the development of the northern sector.
The group asked that he render an apology to northerners in seven days or put himself and his government to trouble for failing to do so.
“We think that it is so weird for a northerner like the Regional Minister himself who is from Binduri in the Upper East Region to insult his own kinsmen and kinswomen as greedy and untruthful people.
“In the light of all this, we think his statement is unnecessary, it is offensive, it is demeaning and above all it is terrible. And we call on him to immediately apologise to the good people of northern Ghana within one week,” said a statement read by the group’s spokesperson, Christopher K. Asima.
“We know of his interest to stage a comeback as a Member of Parliament (MP). Failing to apologise will see us work against him and against his government. We are going to stage street protests in his constituency (Binduri), Bolgatanga, Tamale, Wa, Nalerigu and Damango and ask His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to relieve him of his post,” it added.
Below is the full statement:
PRESS STATEMENT
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, good day. It has become necessary for all of us to come together and share this piece of disturbing news which seems to denigrate and insult us, the people from northern Ghana.
It is disturbing to note that of recent the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, has been in the news for all the negative reasons. He is known to have been in front of small-scale miners, negotiating with a Chinese mining firm and allegedly cheating our northern brothers who are into legal mining business.
It is also alleged that he has connived with the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Ayisi, to extort money from some small-scale miners to buy furniture for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, which is uncalled-for.
Although in all these matters our intelligence tells us that he is under investigations being conducted by the police, EOCO and NIB. Our expectations are that the state institutions mentioned will do due diligence and serve him the deserved sanctions for his alleged deeds. As the saying goes: “No one is above the law.”
Ladies and gentlemen, it is shocking to note that the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, is reported to have said that “NORTHERNERS ARE VERY GREEDY AND UNTRUTHFUL”. This statement was reported by Media Without Borders on 25th May, 2023. Our investigation also leads to the fact that he, Hon. Stephen Yakubu, actually insulted northerners as reported.
We think that it is so weird for a northerner like the Regional Minister himself who is from Binduri in the Upper East Region to insult his own kinsmen and kinswomen as greedy and untruthful people. The fact that the Regional Minister obtained his secondary education at Konongo in the Ashanti Region does not make him an Akan. The attitude he has exhibited so far in the office as a regional minister qualifies him as the one who should rather be described as greedy and untruthful.
In the light of all this, we think his statement is unnecessary, it is offensive, it is demeaning and above all it is terrible. And we call on him to immediately apologise to the good people of northern Ghana within one week.
We know of his interest to stage a comeback as a Member of Parliament (MP). Failing to apologise will see us work against him and against his government. We are going to stage street protests in his constituency (Binduri), Bolgatanga, Tamale, Wa, Nalerigu and Damango and ask His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to relieve him of his post.
By this, we are also respectfully asking all the traditional chiefs in northern Ghana to openly rebuke him and ask him to apologise. We cannot live to hear Hon. Stephen Yakubu insulting the Bawku Naba, the Bolga Naba, the Nayiri, the Wa Na, the Chiana Pio, the Sandem Naab, the Nangod Naab. the Navro Pio, the Tongraan, the Paga Pio, the Yagbonwura and the Ya Naa to mention a few.
These revered chiefs and other dignitaries in northern Ghana including Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former President John Dramani Mahama, Speaker of Parliament Hon. Alban Bagbin, cannot be described as greedy and untruthful by the Regional Minister Hon. Stephen Yakubu.
Hon. Stephen Yakubu must resign for committing this unthinkable blunder against the good people of northern Ghana.
#StephenYakubuMustGo.
Long live Northern Forum for Peace and Development! Long live northern Ghana!! Long live Ghana!!!
Spokesperson:
Christopher K. Asima
(0544877964)
Source: Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org
