Matters Arising From The “Dodgy” Masters Degree Palaver

…Who Lied?
ImageYesterday, in a characteristic bellicose move, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Mr. Harruna Iddrisu denied outright on Peace FM that he had granted the ADM an interview in which he stated that his revoked Master's Degree by the University of Ghana is “politically motivated.”

Mr Iddrisu was emphatic on air when he said among other disclaimers, that “…in the first place I have never granted an interview to the ADM.” ADM stands by its story of Thursday 19th October 2006 headlined: “"Dodgy" Master's Degree palaver-MP says it's Politically Motivated!”
In a heated debate between the beleaguered MP and ADM's, Kofi Agyepong, on Peace FM's Morning Show – Kokrokoo - the MP denied granting an interview to the ADM in a local language. Hausa is the local language the interview was granted in. Though the MP's local language is Dagbani, he showed a remarkable grasp of and fluency in the Hausa language in which he answered ADM's questions. “When I am in Accra I don't grant an interview in my local language unless I am in my constituency,” he tried to sidestep the real issue.

ADM later supplied the recording of the interview to Peace FM. After listening to the tape off air and the line was drawn as to who was lying, ADM or the MP, one of the producers of the show – Jerry Mordy - and other staff of Peace FM failed to play it on air as they had promised.

The respected host of the show, Mr Kwame Sefa-Kayi however told his audience that “We've got the tape.”

The writer of the story, Kofi Agyepong stood by in readiness at Peace FM studios, just in case more substantiation of the interview would be required, but left without being interrogated, perhaps because his integrity and that of his newspaper had been vindicated beyond doubt.

Kofi told his colleagues at ADM: “I am very disappointed now, because I promised to prove that the MP lied. I dashed to the office and sent the tape only to be told that we should spare the MP because he is going through trying times…but when he had a field day on air to make mockery of my integrity and that of the paper no one tried stopping him…I am worried that Peace FM asked me to provide my evidence of an interview with the MP but after fulfilling my part of the bargain they refused to play it.”

Concluding, he said, “…the NDC national youth organizer, who is held up in certain political quarters as a model for the youth, would most certainly face a lot of problems if the university confirms the revoking of his Masters Degree because of plagiarism; our attempt was not to mock him but give him the chance to set his records straight.”

No matter which way this plagiarism allegation goes, the MP for Tamale South would have to deal with this latest goof of his: telling a lie to deceive the public in order to extricate himself from a difficult personal problem.

The interview the MP for Tamale South said did not take place. Transcribed from the original Hausa

ADM (M.B Brimah): Honourable, good afternoon

Harruna Iddrisu: Good afternoon

ADM: How? We just got information that the university has withdrawn your degree. How? Have you received such information?

Harruna Iddrisu: No. You just exercise patience. They just want to trouble me. But they just can't. So don't get worried. They can't do anything.

ADM: Now, what do you want to do? (What's your next step?)

Harruna Iddrisu: I just want to hear from them first. Then I will hold a press conference. And then I'll know what next.

ADM: In your opinion, what do you attribute to this?

Harruna Iddrisu: Aah! Of course, it's politics. It's politics!

ADM: So, its pure politics?

Harruna Iddrisu: I think so. Yes!

ADM: So now, we of the press, what do you want us to do for you?

Harruna Iddrisu: You just wait. Yes, you just wait. Let me hear from them first.

ADM: At least, if you hear from them, let us know.

Harruna Iddrisu: Alhaji, thanks a lot.

ADM: You are talking to ADM

Harruna Iddrisu: Alhaji, thanks a lot