I start by congratulating Prof Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on her nomination. Prof‘s nomination has expectedly brought life and noise into the heating campaign environment. 

The NDC through its celebrated ‘babies with sharp teeth’, predictably, is seeking to garner political capital riding more on the back of the Prof’s gender than on her credentials and capabilities.

They even attempt to build an element of blackmail into this. But that is where the problems begin. Prof with all her achievements in public service would want to be evaluated on competence rather than on her gender.

The gender literature is much nuanced than what the NDC seeks to do. Gender is not found in objects that can be picked up or put down; otherwise there is no deep meaning. 

I listened to the Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa yesterday in his hasty attempt to accuse some people of what he called sexism. He indicated that Prof is even competent than some of ‘we men.’ This is the highest order of sexism.

The former Deputy Minister has been socialized to think that men arrived on earth with competence and achievements pre-installed. That is nonsense perpetrated by a patriarchy that seeks to evaluate the achievements of women against a male norm.   

That is so insulting, and I will urge him and his colleagues to take advantage of the Covid-19 season to learn some basics in gender, sexism and possibly political correctness. 

Sexism permeates the entire gender debate and there will be many traps for both sides of the political divide. Okudzeto and his clique may come out of this as perpetrators, and with bruises.

But if I may now be permitted to do politics I will start by saying that Ghanaians need to give some credit to John Mahama for an intelligent choice. The impact of this choice is to give some temporary shield to him as the gentle Prof takes the limelight.

He carefully considered the blackmail value in this choice. But that is how far it will travel. The debates will rightly, and very soon, return to incompetence, corruption and bribery. When that time comes, the babies with sharp teeth will be reminded that the debates will not be reduced to simple and certain slogans.

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About author

The writer is a resident of Bawku, a teacher by training and a farmer by profession. A passionate lover of Ghana with a dream to modernise agricultural practices in Ghana. He is a believer in education and the ability to afford should not be a barrier.