The Minister of Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Gladys Asmah, has claimed she abandoned her one and only son (not the first) because he was a drug addict and disgrace to the family. Mrs Asmah, who was addressing students at an Opportunities and Industrialisation Centre (OIC) in Takoradi, could not, however, state whether she took that negative action because the child even at age five, was an addict.

Family sources, who first gave the ‘Ghana Palaver’ the hint, stated categorically that Mrs Asmah threw away the child, following a divorce with the father, a case which had nothing to do with drunkenness or drug abuse.

Prior to her confession at the public function last weekend, Mrs Asmah had stormed the family house, raining insults and pouring curses on inmates of the house, for leaking the information about the plight of the only child to the press.

Calling almost every one, with unprintable names and accusing aunts, cousins, sisters, brothers and all as “konkonsa” riff-raff, Mrs Asmah warned that none of them should ever step in her own house.

At this juncture, the son, Kojo Asmah (Hammond), emerged from his room and asked the mother not to vent her spleen on any of the relatives. “I called in the press. And you can hold me responsible for exposing your wickedness towards me.”

“Indeed, I’m prepared to appear on any of the local “FM” stations of tell my story for the world to know you, as you are”, he added, with tears in his eyes. Still unmoved by the sight of the abandoned child, she angrily asked his son” to go to hell…go to Kufuour, if even you wish to do so”, she shouted angrily as she stormed out of the house to the amazement of all present, including nearby neighbours.

It was with great surprise, therefore, when the same women, was heard “lamenting” over the fate of her son and pretending to be worried. The question that obviously came out was whether the son, was a drunkard at five.

Others maintained that if the son had taken to any bad habits, then it might have been caused through lack of parental care. In any case, the question is whether the boy’s case is beyond redemption or if the family house is either a rehabilitation centre or psychiatry.

Close associates of the boy, however, maintain that the poor Kojo had either been a victim of a broken home or “spiritual casualty”. And, it is cases, such as that of Kojo, which have given cause to the creation of a whole Ministry of Mrs Asmah to be engaged there, and paid from public funds.

It is further being argued as to whether the best way of handling such situation, is to abandon parental responsibilities. Many people, interviewed by the ‘Palaver’, have renewed their call for either the resignation or the immediate removal of Mrs Asmah from her post, since she proved to be an embarrassment to herself, the immediate family, the Government and the people of Ghana as a whole!

“What a great world it will be if all parents especially mothers abandoned their children entirely for misdemeanours without helping reform them. It will help create worthless ministries for callous mothers”, a clearly angered caller told the ‘Palaver’.