General News of Saturday, 21 February 2015
Source: Starrfmonline.com
Communications Minister Dr Edward Omane Boamah has urged former Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Marfo to immediately apologise for the tribal comments that he is alleged to have made in order to regain his reputation in Ghanaian politics.
A secret audio tape circulating on both social and traditional media captures a male voice resembling that of Mr Marfo bemoaning that even though about 90 percent of Ghana’s natural resources are concentrated in mainly Akan-speaking regions of the country, it is people who come from regions without resources that are governing the country.
The tape was apparently captured at a meeting between the former Finance Minister and the NPP’s Council of Elders in the Eastern region.
The voice, which mostly spoke in the local Twi language, but punctuated the delivery with some English, is heard bemoaning why Akan-speaking people, whose regions are rich with natural resources, are not the ones at the helm of managing those resources.
“…You have all the resources, but you have no say in the management of your resources and that is what is happening. Your development depends on the one who has no resources,” the voice said.
“You can’t say this openly,” he cautioned the Council members, but added that they are at liberty to talk about it among Asantes.
Commenting on the content of the audio Saturday, Dr Boamah said the statements made on the tape are too explosive to be entertained by Ghanaians.
“Mr Osafo is about 70 [Years] or inching towards 70. One would have expected that he would have ended his glorious political career in dignity, but this tape is not dignifying.
“But he has another opportunity, possibly between now and close of day – Monday – to apologise to the people of Ghana, particularly the Volta region and the three regions in the North,” the acting Presidential spokesperson stated on ‘Alhaji and Alhaji’.