Tony Aidoo Defends Remarks

In spite of the severe criticisms he faced and the needless controversy his latest diatribe against Christendom generated, Head of Policy Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency, Dr. Tony Aidoo, seems unfazed as he on Wednesday, September 1st, tried to rationalize his remarks about tongues-speaking Christians being mad.

According to Dr. Aidoo, St. Paul, who is the source of inspiration to tongue-speakers, portrays specific contradictions between tongues speaking values and values of prophesies.

To buttress his point, Dr. Aidoo read from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 14:23, part of which states; “so if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues…, and there are some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?”

“To the extent that they have condemned me”, Dr. Aidoo told his critics, “to do same to the Apostle Paul for qualifying the essence in tongues-speaking.”

The former Deputy Defence Minister in the NDC 1 regime under ex-President Rawlings stressed that he was “not against people who speak in tongues”, but advised them “to do so indoors where they would be free to shout and enjoy their freedom of speech and religion.”

Speaking in an interview with Alhassan Suhini on Radio Gold, Dr. Aidoo alluded to “blood-cuddling screams” which woke him up at 2 a.m. some time ago, and said those screams sounded like “someone was being murdered”.

“…Two years ago, i reported similar screams to the Odorkor Police Station and when an investigation was carried out the police realized it was a woman speaking in tongues,” he disclosed.

“I am not attacking people’s faith as claimed by Ursula Owusu,” Dr. Aidoo said, and appealed to the clergy to give proper interpretation of the Bible in church.

“If this is done, those who have lost faith in the church would return to the church,” he added.

According to him, the very source of faith as presented by the Apostle Paul touched on the subject and use of the word “madness.”

To those baying for his blood and calling for his head, Dr. Tony Aidoo categorically stated that His Excellency, Professor John Mills “is a rational and logical man” who would not yield to the cry of many to suspend him.

“If you want the Tony Aidoo pound of flesh, cut it, but make sure that you don’t drop blood…,” he stated.

Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Institute of Journalism