Actor and TV personality Ama K Abebrese has criticized the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi over comments he made about daughter of former President John Mahama, Farida Mahama, describing the comments as unacceptable.
Condemning the comments by Chairman Wontumi, the actress said such utterances are detestable and inappropriate, especially when the utterances can be interpreted as “sexual innuendo”.
She contends that the comments against Farida Mahama must be condemned by all regardless of her father’s political affiliations and social class since such comments are unpalatable and degrading.
“Wontumi’s comments are in no uncertain terms abhorrent and inappropriate. Especially when it is interpreted with sexual innuendo. For someone in frontline politics to say such a thing about a young girl is frankly unacceptable,” she said.
Adding that “Regardless of whether that child’s parents work in a bank, are farmers or a former President. We all know it’s commonplace during elections time for political parties to throw jabs at each other. I don’t care about anyone’s political party and affiliations. Also spare me the political party supporters and their blind support of their leaders; but wrong is wrong, and children should be off limits.”
Mr. Antwi Boasiako while speaking on Kumasi-based Wontumi Radio said he observed that Mr. Mahama has been ‘flaunting’ his daughter on social media since his wife decided to stay off and cautioned the former president to desist from exposing his daughter in that manner as she could be subjected to abuses including being exploited sexually.
“so now what he does is that he posts his daughter indicating that she is now of age. Someone will catch her and do something to her for him to realize that if you have a daughter you will hide her,” he stated in Twi.
But a section of the public has considered his comments as detestable, and has condemned him for making such remarks.
The Ashanti regional Secretary of the NDC, Kwame Zu has since lodged an official complaint with the police in the region over the comments of the NPP stalwart, a move the actress believes is in the right direction as the police is in the right position to deal thoroughly with the matter.
She bemoaned the incessant sexist comments against children and the attempt by some individuals to justify such comments stressing the need to protect children especially against such utterances.
“There is a wider conversation about such comments about children in society as a whole. Some view these kinds of comments as just mere loose talk and some even justify them as harmless.
I got to thinking; that if a former President’s daughter can have such comments said about her, then I’m saddened for the average child in Ghana whose parents and family may not have influence or be rich or famous. Who fights for them? We all have to do our best to protect all children every way we can,” she remarked.
