General News of Friday, 21 November 2014

Source: Daily Guide

Jawula rescues embattled MP

Lepowura Alhaji Nurudeen Jawula has run to the aid of the embattled MP for the Daboya Mankarigu constituency, whose suggestion on how to treat adulterous women has gone viral.

The Lepowura, a retired Chief Director with several years experience behind him in the civil service and who holds an important chieftaincy position, called the DAILY GUIDE yesterday, virtually dangling a positive testimonial of the embattled MP.

He said he has known Nelson Abudu Baani for a long time and can vouch for his sincerity. “As a man, he does not have the traits of a man who would go to the extent of recommending the stoning of adulterous women in the context in which he was quoted as suggesting,” he said.

The man, he said, was certainly quoted out of context and that notwithstanding has sought the intervention of a chief which I am,” he added.

When an embattled person seeks the intervention of a chief by running to him as it were, he said, “It is a mark of a sincere remorse and should be treated as such by all and sundry. To err is human and forgiveness divine.”

Dangling a testimonial of the MP, he said, “I have known him for many years as a person who can hardly kill a fly. And for such a statement to be attributed to him, I would consider it as having been taken out of context. His tenure as an officer at the Ministry of Finance where I served as his superior officer, I can vouch that he was a duty-conscious person.”

To Ghanaians, especially Ursula Owusu, whom he said have every right to express the kind of sentiments they have so far about such an allegation, “I plead that they sheath their swords and let bygone be bygone. Ursula should forgive him because he erred and should have learnt his lesson already.”

The MP has come under intense fire since the statement was attributed to him. He was grilled by a BBC reporter on Wednesday after he called into the programme to rejoin the story on the network.

He told his host on the programme that he regrets what was attributed to him and that anything about death should be a regrettable matter. He apologised to his wife, his family and women who have been offended by what was attributed to him.

The Lepowura is the first traditional ruler to come to the aid of the embattled MP. A code of conduct is in the offing for parliamentarians to serve as bastion against indecent conduct.