Following the recent regrettable attack on Dr. Zenator Rawlings the MP for Klottey Korley Constituency by Paul Adom Otchere a Ghanaian journalist and politician on his TV programme "Good Evening Ghana " on Metro TV, Lawyer Seth Awuku Esq issued the following statement last weekend amidst the controversial media reports on the matter.
Lawyer Seth Awuku Esq is an astute business man, a prominent lawyer, and a vociferous social commentator in Ghana, Canada and the United States. In his facebook post on 18th April 2020 titled "On Dr. Zenator Rawlings, Can Women enter politics? " Mr. Awuku expressed his misgivings on how women who enter politics are marginalized and intimidated by the Partriachial system in Ghana. In his words, lawyer Awuku addressed the issue as follows;
I have restrained myself to remain mute, not to talk politics, in contemporary Ghana, of late. Yes ooo, to zip it up. And God knows I have tried
However, Paul Adom-Otchere's blistering attack on Dr Zenator Agyeman-Rawlings, a woman entering politics, is most nerve-racking. I sit and hold my chin, in disbelief. I feel a shockwave going through my spin and thereby unzipping my mouth, for a moment. It is just for a moment, Walahi.
May I therefore seek your indulgence to ask, womanly, politically and most politely the following questions and see what conclusions, if any, we can draw for society?
1. If President Akufo-Addo is encouraging women to enter politics in Ghana, as we saw him say, even in faraway Canada in 2018, can Paul Adom otchere's blistering attack on TV, about Dr Zenator's expressed views on food sharing be encouraging for women to enter politics?
2. Are we aware that the approach to inviting women to enter politics ought to be different from the normal male combative style politicking?
3.. If a journalist wishes to discredit the views expressed by an individual including an aspiring woman in politics, is it not by journalistic practice, to get opposing views of other individuals and use their views rather to discredit or impeach the credibility or truthfulness of the person who made the said views?
4. Does it lie in the mouth of a journalist to tell us, the viewers, on national TV his political views on a woman asserting her political view on a political matter; to tell us the views on how privileged a particular woman is, how much of a daughter she is, and her privileged parental background, when there are other OBJECTIVE views out there for society to analyze the issue as stake? Will that not shift or expose the journalist to the appearance of political bias and intolerance in a democracy.
By the way who said that a crab gives birth to a bird. I doubt very much that Zenator is easy to crack
5. Do such journalists truly understand the concept of affirmative action in society, appreciate the duty to accomodate women in a democracy and political tolerance of others in a polity?
6.. Do we recognize that highly formal-educated women in Ghanaian society are but a few and that the very few must not be discouraged by our male dominated partriachichal political society?
7. In any event is Ghana an authoritarian democracy or a liberal democracy, and do we see that there's a difference between the two.
8 Are we practising an authoritarian style democracy?
9. Can women entering politics, and individuals in general, have the right to express themselves and share their opinion without any boisterous attacks
10. And finally if President Akufo-Addo, who undoubtedly is from a highly privileged background, whose father was once equally a president and is now in active politics, what prevents Dr Zenator, therefore, also, to express her opinion and enter into active politics in Ghana. Yea, oh yea what prevents her, one may ask?
CONCLUSION
The whole idea of encouraging women in politics is not for sentimental reasons. It is because women bring a certain valuable perspective to society.
Their intuitiveness and perceptiveness can not be underrated if we desire to build a Good society. Indeed their inclusion is a wealth of asset needed for societal growth. Even in this corona virus pandemic, Women presidents around the world have shown remarkable ingenuity in curbing the spread of the corona virus transmission better than their male counterpart presidents. Countries with female presidents like Finland,.Germany and Norway to name a few have lower rates of infection indeed.
If I may now turn to China, hmmm, this superpower spreading corona virus and who now turns around and shows us red-pepper racism. Infact China's conduct tells us how little we know of their real intentions.
It is time, Yes!!!! time to encourage Women to enter politics, to allow them to express,in their style of opinion, and be willing to accomodate them. so that they can help society to read intuitively the political behavior of China as it relates to their intentions in Ghana and Africa. How do we imagine we are easily going to deal with this one billion four million people called China who can not be trusted even by the advanced nations?
Women, are the key. Let's encourage them . Yes,, I say, they are the key. Tell it to society,,Say it Loud and be proud, Paul Adom-Otchere
The presumption that those in power or in authority have some form of infallible authority, that is, able to make judgment on what is, or is not correct expression or opinion must cease for their version of opinion or truth is not necessarily absolute opinion or truth..
I shall now return to zipping up and remain mute in contemporary Ghanaian politics.
