Speaking Truth to Power and After Power: Adwoa Sarfo Speaks

The second term of the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government and the eighth parliament of the Ghana's fourth republic experienced dramatic episodes throughout the four-year term.

Many government officials and members of parliament could be associated with the drama. One such high-profile person is Honorable Adwoa Sarfo, former MP for Dome-Kwabenya and former Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection. She called the bluff of her own government and refused to be whipped in parliament on some critical national issues, especially during the passage of legislation on the infamous E-levy. A case of speaking truth to power?

Honorable Adwoa Sarfo is also speaking truth after power. If indeed she spoke truth to power and being consistent with the truth after power, then she is deserving of the title, Honorable.

What is the truth she spoke to power and still speaking after power? As part of leadership in parliament, she spoke about the unpopular nomination of Rt. Rev. Professor Mike Oquaye, as the Speaker of the eighth parliament of the fourth republic of Ghana. As the then Deputy Majority Leader of the 7th parliament, she accompanied her boss, the Majority Leader, Honorable Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, to tell the then President Akufo-Addo, who had just been re-elected for a second term, to consider another candidate for the speakership role, because his nominee might not survive the impending election on the floor of parliament. She spoke of how the President's nominee had fallen out with many MPs in the majority caucus. Some of Mike Oquaye's decisions in the seventh parliament had made him unpopular, and some MPs from his own party had decided to vote against him. That was the truth, and Adwoa Sarfo told the President together with Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu. She spoke truth to power.

The NPP lost the general election in December 2024 and is now in opposition. Honorable Adwoa Sarfo is still consistent with the truth she spoke to power. She is speaking again after power.

She has said Professor Mike Oquaye's Election Review Committee must first report on why his son, Mike Oquaye Junior, lost in the Dome-Kwabenya constituency before releasing a report on why the party's presidential candidate lost in the nationwide elections. Honorable Adwoa Sarfo hinted that the final report of the Election Review Committee risk of being rejected.

The case of Honorable Adwoa Sarfo is an example of who spoke truth to power behind scenes but are now coming out to speak the truth after power. The NPP leadership must begin to consider how they lost an opportunity to act when truth was spoken to power and act swiftly as people like Honorable Adwoa Sarfo are speaking after power.

Eben Johnson – Finland
(Letters Without Signature)