Kennedy Slams NPP

Kennedy Agyapong

THE NEW Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North in the Central Region, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has expressed displeasure at the manner in which he was treated by his party during the time of his predicament.

Mr Agyapong was arbitrarily detained by the police and later hauled before court recently for allegedly inciting Akans against Ewes and Gas.

The owner of Kencity Media Limited stated that he was disappointed at the manner in which the NPP treated him when the issue, which gained media currency for days, occurred.

Speaking on Tema-based Adom FM 's morning show programme yesterday, Mr Agyapong said he was disappointed because the party did not stand by him.

He noted that he was particularly not happy about the conduct of some leading members of the party, mentioning Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Oboshie Sai-Coffie and Nana Akomea among others.

He made the attack when he was called to react to allegations by Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Central Regional Minister, that his alleged recent ethnocentric comments incited the Fantes against the Ewes, even though the clashes was as a result of the death of a chief at President Atta Mills' backyard.

According to Mr Agyapong, the NPP showed no solidarity with him, and rather chose to disown and make him look like a devil incarnate.

He noted that though he did not make the comments he was being held for, he expected the party to at least show solidarity and stand by him like members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) did when one of them was in trouble.

He said if members of the NDC could still defend Koku Anyidoho for his unacceptable behavior, he did not see why the NPP would choose to turn its back on him when the issue arose.

The Assin North MP stated that he was dumfounded by the statement released by Nana Akomea, Director of Communications of the NPP, distancing the party from the statement he was purported to have made.

Speaking on the issue for the first time, he said he expected the party to stand solidly behind him because even if it was true that he made those comments, he did not make them for himself but for the party.

He expressed disappointment at the manner in which people had twisted the comments he made, stressing that he never incited Akans to kill Ewes and Gas and that he could never make such statements.

Mr Agyapong said he was again disappointed at the party's failure to make known what he exactly said for people to be well informed about it so that the misinformation would not wash.

He however expressed confidence that come what may, he would come out victorious in his court battle because God even knew that he never made the statement he was being held for.

Nana Akomea Rubbishes Claim
The Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea denied accusations that the party betrayed the Assin North MP in the heat of the crisis.

According to Nana Akomea, the comments by Kennedy Agyapong were very surprising, saying, 'The party has never betrayed him and we have always defended him.'

'The party was only worried about the tone of the language he used and we were uncomfortable. If the party disagreed with the language, it doesn't mean betrayal,' Nana Akomea told Joy FM .

He said the party had supported Mr Agyapong all the way during his arrest and prosecution.

He said on the day the Assin North MP was arrested, he, together with the party chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and other leading party members, was present at the Police Headquarters to show their solidarity.

Nana Akomea recounted how party loyalists and lawyers besieged the court premises to support him during the trial.

That, he said, could not be described as a party hanging its own member to dry.

Benyiwa Doe Is A Failure
Benyiwa Doe said the clashes between the Ewes and Fantes in Ekumfi was because of Kennedy's comments that Akans should attack Ewes and Gas.

But the Assin North MP described Benyiwa Doe's comments as irresponsible.

Mr Agyapong said the regional minister's comments were only a smokescreen to cover up her failure and incompetence as well as President Mills's.

'This woman makes an irresponsible comment because she has failed the region; President Mills has failed the region,” he stated.

He said instead of the minister finding the root cause of the clashes, she found it convenient to blame the clashes on him.

 From Morgan Owusu, Kumasi