Hajia Fati, the embattled activist of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has an office to herself at the party’s headquarters in Accra, although she holds no official portfolio.
That’s according to the party’s acting National Chairman, Freddie Blay.
“Me, I’m aware, I’m not contradicting the General Secretary, and maybe he may not be aware. The new offices that we have built, she has one room there. Hajia was even occupying an office even in the main block some time ago, and we needed it for our deputy, so we decided to give her another place. She has other people she meets so we gave that office to her,” he stated on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen today, Friday.
[contextly_sidebar id=”qL1Crbuz2v0GPT5FBTXZCF4YRqvJR9JY”]Hajia Fati had been widely condemned for slapping an Adom FM reporter at the party’s headquarters last Friday.
The reporter was covering Hajia Fati’s scuffle with suspended Second Vice Chairman of the NPP, Sammy Crabbe who had visited the party’s headquarters to pick forms to contest in the party’s chairmanship race.
Hajia subsequently apologized for her conduct following massive pressure from the media. This was after the NPP, which had been quiet about the incident, hurriedly condemned it after pressure from some media houses, particularly Citi FM, which threatened to boycott its events.
Meanwhile, Chairman Blay, while speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii sen programme today, Friday, said despite causing troubles for the NPP, Hajia Fati remains a very loyal member.
“This is our own internal arrangement. We are not bowing to pressure that because somebody made a mistake here and there, therefore the party should isolate that person and put the person away. Hajia admittedly may have her own faults which we try to advise her on, but there are positive aspects of her as far as our party is concerned.”
He explained that Hajia helped the party overcome supposed “bullying” from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“Those days we were struggling against dictatorship, against NDC bullying here and there, we relied on Hajia. She’s been very supportive of the party leadership and those who identified with the party. So we found a way to advise her to restrain herself from other things that could cause collateral damage to us. Hajia is a loyal member of the party irrespective of the few problems that we’ve had,” he added.
When asked why Hajia who is neither a women’s organizer nor an executive of the party occupies an office at their headquarters, Mr. Blay said it’s an internal arrangement.
He added that they have also provided office space for party members who sell NPP paraphernalia around the area.
“…Those we find useful, those we know overtime, and those we know and have confidence in as well as those who sell, we give them some offices to even keep their paraphernalia and they use that as their office. So there is nothing wrong with that,” he clarified.
About Hajia Fati
Hajia Fati, an elderly woman sells some items opposite the NPP headquarters in Accra and is very influential in internal party affairs.
In hailing a decision by the party to suspend former NPP Chairman and General Secretary, Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong respectively in 2015, Hajia Fati in a dramatized way used a broom to supposedly sweep away the two from the party headquarters.
On May 4, 2018, Hajia Fati again prevented suspended Second Vice Chairman of the party, Sammy Crabbe from picking forms to contest in the NPP’s chairmanship race.
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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin
