Osei Yaw Nketia, popularly called Dr Asemfofro, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) serial caller, has been hauled before a Family Tribunal by the parents of his wife for 'parental irresponsibility'.

Dr. Asemfofro, who is said to have six wives and twelve children, was reported to the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service by Priscilla Yorke, his girlfriend, for allegedly shirking his parental responsibility for their two children.

Owusu Banahene, the father of Priscilla Yorke, accompanied his daughter to the DOVVSU office in Accra on February 13, 2008 to lodge a complaint against the herbal drug peddler for refusing to name the two children - boys - aged three years and three weeks, and not giving money for their upkeep.

He said when his daughter gave birth at the Mamprobi Polyclinic he called his daughter's 'husband' and all that he got was “What is the sex of the child?”

“I called him again and he asked for the sex of the child and I got furious and told him that she had given birth to a 'Nanka' (Python) and hang up on him,” Mr. Banahene said.

A DOVVSU report seen by DAILY GUIDE indicated that the suspect was invited to the station and on the instructions of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nana Amedi Serwaa, he was detained.

The report indicated that a “Reference letter was prepared and handed over to the complainant to be taken to Family Tribunal-Accra for further action.”

Dr. Asemfofro was later released on a police inquiry bail in the sum of GH¢2,000 (¢20m) with one surety in the person of one Ali Dasco from Taifa.

“Suspect brought in an amount of GH¢130 (¢1.3m) being the amount the complainant spent during the birth and care of their children in his absence,” the report stated.

According to Priscilla, she was staying with her 'husband' and got pregnant with their second child and that when her date of delivery was getting closer, Asemfofro gave her GH¢20 to go to her parents' house where she could receive good care after delivery.

She told the police that ever since she moved, the NDC serial caller had never paid her a visit and that “he came later and gave me GH¢20 which I used to pay my hospital bills.”

Priscilla alleged that her 'husband' refused to pay the hospital bills after she had given birth and that her father, Mr. Banahene, paid before she was discharged.

“We therefore came here to make a report to the police. He did not name the baby and the elder one. He refused to send the child to school,” she said in her report.

When DAILY GUIDE contacted Mr. Banahene on phone, he confirmed the story and said Asemfofro had been irresponsible.

He vowed to deal with him for taking his daughter for granted.
Priscilla's younger sister, Pat, told DAILY GUIDE that the family had been responsible for the upkeep of the children.

When Asemfofro was reached on telephone he also confirmed the story to DAILY GUIDE but insisted that he neither shirked his responsibilities to the lady nor the children.

“I have six wives and twelve children and I take care of all of them and nobody has ever accused me of being irresponsible,” he protested.

He accused his in-law of deliberately tarnishing his character and stated that sending him to the police was part of a plan to malign him.

When asked why he had not named the children, Asemfofro said the parents insisted on what he termed an elaborate outdooring which would be held in church.

He said as a traditionalist who “worships Bosom (fetish)”, going to perform naming ceremony in a church was against his beliefs, and therefore he refused to honour their dictum.

Secondly, he argued that by custom, as an Ashanti, such naming ceremonies are performed in the man's house.

Asemfofro alleged that he had persistently called for the children from his 'wife' for the naming ceremony to be done but the woman and her parents had refused.

Asked why he did not marry the lady but continued to have children with her, he said the parents had shown biases against him, suggesting that they never liked him as their in-law.

He described Mr Banahene as the stepfather of his 'wife' and accused him of being politically motivated.

Asemfofro described himself as a staunch NDC member and a serial caller, and stated that his recent attack on President Kufuor at the People's Assembly held in the Western Regional capital, Sekondi was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

He told DAILY GUIDE that the case had been slated for March 10, 2008 at the Family Tribunal in Accra.

By Wisdom Peter Awuku