Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has responded to public backlash following her comments directed at John Dumelo, NDC’s Awayaso West Wuguon MP candidate.
She had stated that parliament “is for serious-minded people and not people who have done some movies and think they are popular.”
“It is a serious place; I will tell him; the laws of the country are enacted in parliament. If our President can continue his job very well, he needs Lydia Alhassan in Parliament to do the job so that all you need as a constituency will be easily given to you.”
Shirley Ayorkor Botchway’s comments attracted a lot of backlash from the creative industry.
However, the minister in a press statement stressed that her comments were not to attack the creative industry.
“My attention has been drawn to attempts by our political opponents and other
detractors to read meanings into some comments I made while supporting my
hardworking sister, Honorable Lydia Alhassan during her rally at Ayawaso West
Wuogon a few days ago”
“My comments on that platform were made in particular reference to Honorable
Lydia Alhassan’s opponent where I intimated that popularity alone does not
make one the obvious choice for Parliament”
“I went on to appeal to her
constituents to vote for her to continue to do more for them. It was never meant to be an attack on a particular person or the entire Film Making and Creative Arts Industry”, she said.
Shirley Ayorkor Botchway also urged the public to disregard negavite interpretations of her comments by political opponents.
“Any desperate attempts by Political opportunists to twist and portray this as a
swipe at an entire Industry should be treated with the contempt it deserves”
“Records clearly show that this is a sector that has always been dear to my heart;
one that I have personally championed and promoted at various levels during
my political career and I would be the first to acknowledge that the Creative
Arts Sector has churned out some of the finest law makers in the history of our
country”
“I want to reassure members of this important industry of my respect and
continued support”, she added.
