Kofi Jumah ‘ignorant and mischievous’
Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch, Mr Benjamin Emmanuel Ephson, has issued a stern warning to Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, Member of Parliament for Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti region, to be wary of the way and manner he talks about him.
Last Wednesday on Accra-based Asempa Fm's Ekosi Sen, programme, Mr Jumah, who has penchant and sharp tongue for criticising people, described Mr Ephson as “ignorant and somebody with a mischievous character” to play the tribal politics on the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
This was after the host of the programme, Kwabena Bobie Ansah, had sought the views of Mr Ephson on his paper's Wednesday edition March 17, 2010 with banner headline “Asantes vs. Akyems” which story was culled from the African Watch Magazine.
Immediately Mr Ephson finished with his submissions, Mr Jumah who is also known as Kofi Ghana, jumped on him asserting loudly that Mr Ephson is ignorant and was being mischievous with his continuous write-ups of Ashantis vrs Akyems power struggle in the NPP.
Giving three scenarios to rubbish the Daily Dispatch article the Asokwa MP explained that there is nothing like a power struggle existing between the Ashantis and the Akyems within the NPP. He went on to state that this does not exist and should therefore not be encouraged.
It was at this point that Mr Jumah went on to adduce and describe the managing editor of the Daily Dispatch as ignorant with mischievous motives. He cautioned Mr Ephson to stop it if his motives are to sell his newspapers, maintaining that he was threading dangerously by playing the tribal cards in the NPP.
Absolutely irritated by the Asokwa MP's comments, Mr Ephson phoned into the programme again and directly warned Mr Jumah.
“Mr Jumah, this should be your first and last time that you should be attacking my personality.
I have no problem if you deal with the substance of the issues in my paper, but to attack my personality is something I will not tolerate.
….And be mindful that the word 'ignorance' is insulting and that nobody has power and control over insult. As a Member of Parliament, I expect you to be civil in your submissions,” Mr Ephson angrily warned.
Feeling badly bruised by Mr Ephson's warning, Mr Jumah reacted again by insisting that his three scenarios and submissions were not in any way insulting to Mr Ephson.
Earlier, the Asokwa MP has warned the Mills government to wash its hands off from the Techiman-Tuobodom chieftaincy dispute.
His caution to the government was premised on the fact that the matter was a purely chieftaincy affair and must be left to the chiefs in the region to settle it.
In the opinion of Mr Jumah, government will aggravate the situation if it decides to assume the driving steer of the matter.
“As much as possible government should alienate itself from the current chieftaincy dispute in the Brong Ahafo region,” cautioned Mr Jumah.
According to the MP, it is imperative that the police also come out to apologise for its initial handling of the conflict when it first broke out.
“The police must also come out and apologise for the way they conducted themselves in the Tuobodom-Techiman dispute,” the MP recommended.
The MP described the Techiman-Tuobodom as sad and pathetic. He said the chieftaincy institution is unique and therefore should not be married with politics.
“Our chiefs ensure that we are Ghanaians through their protection and preservation our rich traditional values,” he noted.
He also had some harsh words for politicians who had the habit meddling in chieftaincy affairs. This attitude on the part of Ghanaian politicians, Mr Jumah stressed was doing a lot of harm to the country's chieftaincy institutions.