The Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism has expressed disappointment in Stephen Atubiga over his “senseless, disgraceful and undemocratic” comments about persons with albinism prior to the NDC Presidential elections.
Stephen Atugiba is reported to have advised delegates against voting for Professor Joshua Alabi because he is a person with albinism who cannot go to Tanzania to transact business on Ghana’s behalf as he will be used for rituals.
“If you vote for Professor Joshua Alabi as NDC candidate and he becomes President of Ghana, he can’t go to Tanzania to negotiate, he will be used for rituals there because he is an albino,” Mr. Atubiga reportedly said.
The Ghana Association of Persons with Albinism in their response said it is unfortunate that the NDC as a political party hoping for power in 2020 allows some “political clowns like Stephen Atubiga to use their platform to demonstrate their moral flaws, ignorance and uncivilized manners to the public”.
They are of the view that Stephen Atubiga lacks the ability to stand the common test and has no respect for human diversity.
“Showing his lack of communication skills, the confused and desperate politician, Stephen Atubiga reported to have added that, “albinos are an endangered group of people in Tanzania and that should Professor Alabi be elected NDC flag bearer and eventually wins the general elections, Ghana will have to cut ties with that country because the president cannot go there,” the association declared in a statement.
They added that the reckless and uncultured comments by Atubiga expose him as a person with little education, adding that “No wonder he referred to himself as a poor electrician from Binduri before going to jail for few days”.
“For his education, Persons with albinism in Africa and in Tanzania are occupying sensitive political positions. Notable among them include Dr. Abdallah Possi a lawyer and a Tanzanian ambassador, Madam Namasonto Mazibuko who is a commissioner for gender equality in South Africa, Dr. Isaac Mwarura a senator in Kenyan parliament among others.
It’s so disgraceful that people like Stephen always shows greater insensitivity dealing with issues as they fail to be decent especially in communication on their political platforms He must remember that it is such reckless and senseless way of talking that landed him in the jail, yet he had not learnt any lesson from it.”
The group is therefore, calling on Stephen Atubiga to retract his comment, render an unqualified apology to the albinism community and refrain from such uncivilized and undemocratic way of speaking and learn to be disciplined and decent in his future utterances.
By: Anita Frimpong
