Is Dishonourable Abudu Daboya a Taliban/Boko Haram MP?

By Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK November 16, 2014

First, let me offer my sincere apology to readers for the strong language in the article but sometimes, we must call a spade, a spade.

I was shocked beyond belief on Friday evening when I read on Ghanaweb that a Member of Parliament wants women in Ghana stoned to death for adultery. According to the report, the MP for Daboya/Makarigu in the Northern region, Dishonourable Nelson Abudu Baani proposed this punishment while contributing to a debate on a Bill on Interstate Succession. He was quoted to have said, "day in day out in Afghanistan, if you go behind your husband they hang you. So if they add that, we will get very genuine women in families." He further added that, "I want members at this time to reject the Bill. This thing will bring a lot of controversy in my area. Some of these women are 'alomo jarta' in their houses so if a woman that I am married to brings me a bastard what is the punishment for those types of women. Unless punishment for women who are not faithful is added, we should not adopt it." (see “MP wants adulterous women stoned to death”, Ghanaweb, November 14, 2014). The purpose of this article is to briefly analyse that suggestion and the aftermath.

This moron, taliban and boko haram activist parading as MP did not end his depravity and stupidity in Parliament where he enjoys immunity from whatever rubbish comes out of his foul mouth but went further to justify his suggestion on air in an interview with Star FM.

In fact, my anger is not at the backward, uncouth Abudu Baani but the Speaker at time and all MPs who were in the House when the mentally deranged Dishonourable Member made such criminal and unconstitutional suggestion for not taking on the bastard. The Speaker or whoever was in the Speaker Chair should have stopped him immediate he started vomiting that garbage, reprimanded and ordered him to withdraw the suggestion and apologise to Ghanaian women. The Women Caucus in the House should have been in arms against such inhumane, degrading and uncivilised suggestion. Sadly, I have not heard or read about what action, if any, was taken against this mad MP. That perhaps explained why he went on to justify his suggestion later on Star FM.

Again, apart from two individuals who are reported to have condemned the Taliban Boko Haram apologist MP, even civil societies organizations such as equality and human rights NGOs have remained silent over this despicable and abhorrent suggestion. The Ghana Bar Association is equally silent and so are religious leaders. Are they all afraid of speaking out for women? What about the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur? Is she not expected to ensure the protection and welfare of women in Ghana? As for CHRAJ, the less talked about, the better as the organisation has lost its moral compass to fight injustice in Ghana. The silence in Ghana over this matter is deafening. I am glad to acknowledge that Ghanaweb readers massively condemn him.

I am unaware of any period in Ghana’s history that women or men were stoned to death for adultery. So what came over this Stone Age man to make such suggestion beggars belief? Moreover, Ghana is not governed under Sharia Law. If this man wants Sharia Law in Afghanistan to be introduced in Ghana, then he should pack his bag and baggage and immigrate to Afghanistan.

Let’s analyse the real adulterers in Ghana. When it comes to unfaithfulness in marriage and relationships, I am more than 100% certain that men are most likely be unfaithful than women. More married men in Ghana and probably globally cheat on their wives than married women. Most often in Ghana, the excuse of men is that men can marry more than one wife. The real question for primitive, and mentally incapacitated Abudu Baani is, what would he propose as punishment for men who cheat on their wives?

I am not in any way defending why women cheat in marriage or relationships but most often they are compelled by their circumstances into having extra marital affairs because of neglect by irresponsible husbands or men who fail to cater for their children. Even, the well off men sometimes neglect their children and wives whilst they spend lavishly or waste their resources on girlfriends and concubines.

Moreover, there are sanctions for cheating in marriage for both men and women throughout Ghana, including customary marriage. These include the dissolution of the marriage is dissolved or the cheating partner being made to pacify the other and an undertaking not to commit adultery again. For this reason, the Taliban Boko Haram MP has no excuse to claim that the Bill if introduced as it was could create problems in his areas.

I believe this man was not conceived and given birth by a woman, has no sisters, female relatives, daughters, etc. Otherwise, he would not have made such barbaric suggestion to be included in a Bill. I pity his wife, who he is willing to be used as an example. This man is sick in the head and needs help. He is a disgrace to Parliament, his constituency, men and Ghana as whole and should be condemned in no uncertain terms.

Since this Dishonourable MP has displayed his depravity outside Parliament and no longer has immunity from what he said on Star FM, I strongly suggest that a complaint be lodged with the appropriate authorities in Ghana for some sanction against him (such as at least one, a month suspension from the House without pay). In fact, it would be better for women in his constituency to protest and demand his recall from the house because he is not fit to be a member of the August House. He belongs to a mental institution where his brains, if he has any, could be examined.

This brings to fore the need to re-examine how individuals and party members are selected as parliamentary candidates who ultimately end up as MPs. Ability to speak English alone should not be the criteria to be taken into consideration but a person’s general views and beliefs must be part of the assessment. Here, his party, NDC must also act against him for bringing the party and the House into disrepute.

I end by quoting this from Martin Luther King Jr. “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends”.

Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK