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Ghana’s National Canoe Fishermen’s Council (GNCFC) has mounted a strong defense for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development Minister-designate Mavis Hawa Koomson in the wake of social media outcry during her review.
Social media users and some citizens were of the opinion that the minister-designate lacked one of the basic tools, namely “her fluency in English” which she will need to run the Fisheries Department.
But in a statement released on Tuesday, the council called the attack unnecessary and an inappropriate priority.
According to them, as the main actors of the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, they are looking for a leader who will find lasting solutions to their major concerns and not necessarily to the vocabulary that the leader uses.
“It’s worth saying that the mundane emphasis on fluency in English is shifted and distracts from the relevant issues that arose from the exercise. As fishermen, our main concern and expectations are how the Minister-designate intends to tackle thorny issues such as Seiko, light fishing, the influx of foreign fishing vessels and the need for a foreign vessel to conduct scientific research, among other things.
“Fortunately, she addressed these questions and many more. We share the sentiments of several well-meaning Ghanaians who, since the fallout from the verification exercise, felt that fluency in the English language is not necessarily a sign of competence, ”the statement said.
In addition, the Council indicated that there are sufficient scholars and good English skills in the Fisheries Department, as such, if Ms Koomson was approved by the Parliament’s Appointments Committee, she would benefit from their support .
The Council also commended the achievements of the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East when she was Minister of Special Development Initiatives.
According to them, Ms Koomson will solve the challenges facing players in the sector.
“As a result, we encourage the media to set the agenda for a liberal conversation about how the promises made clear in the current government’s manifesto will be fulfilled vis-à-vis the content of the verification exercise.
“We believe that the President, Her Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who chose the effective outgoing Minister, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, in his wisdom chose the Minister-designate to realize his vision of the fishing industry ; after assessing her skills on many fronts, including her performance as a member of parliament for Awutu Senya constituency and former minister responsible for special development initiatives.
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