Former Member of Parliament for Dayi Constituency says the Deputy Trades Minister lost the fact that he is now a politician and not a diasporan, as he wanted to be seen by the Diasporan community he addressed.
George Loh says Robert Ahomka Lindsay now comes in a political cloak and that is how he is going to be judged.
He told the host of Newsfile on Joy FM/MultiTV, Samson Lardy Anyenini, Saturday that although he understands what he wants to say, the former Ghana Investment Promotion Center boss during Kufuor’s era mistook the capacity he was speaking.
“He has not been in the political space, he was always been in the corporate space…in the public space, it transposed that attitude [corporate mentality] of arrogance.
“He appeared arrogant to people sitting back because the measure of judgement is different and he didn’t seem to have made the impact that he wants to make,” he said.
Deputy Trade Minister Robert Ahomka Lindsay has come under heavy public backlash for describing Ghanaians in the diaspora as “whiners” about conditions in the country.
Deputy Trade Minister Robert Ahomka Lindsay
Speaking at an event organised by the diaspora community in Accra last week, the Deputy Minister was unhappy about complaints by members of the diaspora about challenges they faced in accessing government officials in their bid to return home and invest in the country.
“Nobody likes whiners, people that spend all the time whining all the time really get on people’s nerves so stop whining,” the Deputy Minister said at the Diaspora Homecoming Summit at the Accra International Conference Centre on Thursday.
He entreated the investors to spend the time to understand the process and avoid taking shortcuts because that can only get them into trouble.
Mr Ahomka-Lindsay later came out to explain that he was taken out of context stressing that his comments were not meant to offend Ghanaians.
“I wish to assure the people of Ghana and all those who have been offended by my comments that I did not in any way intend to sound offensive in my presentation,” he noted on Thursday.
But, Mr Loh warned those in the corporate world who get to serve the public in a political capacity ought to understand that in the political space the accountability and standard demanded from them is different.
He observed that Ghanaians attitude of speaking the truth being equated to being arrogant.
“Many of us have been tagged as too known and arrogant because you say things the way they have to be said because you feel strongly about them.
“Hard luck for him, he is a politician…he missed the point, attitude and he appeared arrogant,” Mr Loh said.
Contributing to the discussion, National Youth Authority CEO, Emmanuel Asigiri, bemoaned the fact that what the Deputy Minister said was taken out of context by most people.
“If you get the chance to listen to the whole tape you would appreciate what he said…his delivery was excellent but he got caught up in what Mr Loh was talking about being at the other side.
“When you find yourself at the other side, you need to be careful of what kind of things come out of your mouth and some of us will be very careful,” he said.
Also commenting on the issue, Editor-in-chief of the Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako believes there was a trigger and not just Ahomka Linsay’s comments.
He complained about how key government officers connected to the event only came to deliver their messages and leave without sitting down to follow the discussions.
Mr Baako said the programme should have been properly organised considering the premium government has placed on it.
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Source: Myjoyonline.com