The Minority side of Parliament, is close to exposing the lady who impersonated Sarah Adwoa Safo on Tuesday during the rescission and subsequent approval of the 2021 Budget and Economic Policy statement by the Majority side of the House.
Minority insiders have hinted to The Herald that details available to them are showing that the lady in question was not Ms. Adwoa Safo, the Member of Parliament {MP} for Dome Kwabenya and Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
But ahead of that exposé, many pictures and names, including that of one Becky Safo are making the rounds as the person who most likely impersonated the MP, who has been in the US since May, this year in the aftermath of her troubles with the widow of late New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart, Major Courage Quashigah.
But the latest name and picture being linked to the alleged criminal conduct of impersonation is that of Afia Akoto, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) under the Office of the President.
Afia, a diehard NPP activist, is also light skinned just like the Dome-Kwabenya MP, but slightly busty and has more butt compared to the legislator.
They, however, seem to have the same height.
Sarah Adwoa who popped up in Parliament on Wednesday without the black COVID-19 nose mask her alleged impersonator had worn on Tuesday, insisted she was not impersonated, but comparisons made on her and that of the supposed impostor, particularly Afia Akoto, shows that while Adwoa Safo has several layers of folded skin on her neck, the imposter didn’t
“Mr. Speaker, I was present in this house yesterday [Tuesday],” she insisted on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.
Interestingly, records from the House on MPs, who were in the House on the Tuesday the budget was approved, stated clearly that Sarah Adwoa Safo, was “absent with permission”.
Adwoa’s hairstyle on Wednesday when she showed up in Parliament was different from that of her imposter. The MP wore a wig which was short, while the impostor appeared in a weave on which was long and had been tied behind just the way Afia Akoto keeps her hair.
The imposter had lots of facial hair, especially around her ear region, something Adwoa Safo lacks, but Afia Akoto has.
The imposter’s wedding ring has also been identified to be different from that of Adwoa.
Kennedy Agyapong, who has two kids with Sarah Adwoa, but is not on friendly terms with her, was seen walking the alleged impersonator into the Chamber on the day.
Strangely, Afia Akoto adores and enjoys a great relationship with Kennedy Agyapong, the NPP MP for Assin North Constituency in the Central Region.
But the story got murkier when one Kenneth Nana Dubin Kwapong said to be a Special Assistant to Adwoa Safo on Citi FM yesterday, gave conflicting details on Adwoa’s arrival in the country last week Saturday and in Parliament on Tuesday.
In one breath, he said Adwo had arrived in Ghana on Saturday dawn, but later changed the time of her arrival to Saturday morning.
He, however, failed to give the specific time to Umaru Amadu Sanda, host of the Eyewitness News on Citi FM.
He shockingly, opted to speak off air on the crucial point of flight details or customs manifest when his interviewer demanded what airline brought back Adwoa Safo from America on the said Saturday.
This was after he was questioned on whether she was onboard a private or a commercial aircraft and if he could give the name.
He had also claimed that on Tuesday when he and Adwoa arrived in Parliament at 10am, she went straight to her office and stayed away from everyone and everything until the time of the approval of the Budget, when she entered the House to take part in proceedings.
The Special Assistant mentioned the Minister for Fisheries, Mavis Hawa Koomson, the MP for Awutu Senya East Constituency, Central Region as the only person who came to Adwoa’s office in Parliament to interact with her ahead of her appearance in the Chamber to take part in the approval of the 2022 Budget statement.
But his claim that Adwoa stayed in her office and did not meet anyone else apart from her colleague minister, Hawa Koomson, was contradicted by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, one of the NDC MPs pursuing the impersonation.
The North Tongue MP who was called into the Citi FM programme, mentioned that earlier yesterday, he was on a Joy FM programme with the NPP MP Okaikwei Central Constituency, Patrick Yaw Boamah, who had claimed that Adwoa Safo was part of the Majority side’s caucus meetings ahead of the new decision on the controversial budget.
With this clear contradiction pointed out, the Special Assistant, sharply changed his story to say he couldn’t tell whether Adwoa Safo attended any meeting with her colleagues MPs ahead of entering the Chamber for the approval of the 2022 budget statement.
But Afia Akoto, has been rebutting claims that she was the one who impersonated Adwoa Safo, including showing pictures of the MP seated in the House on her Facebook wall where some NDC activists are insisting she was the imposter.
On top of one of pictures she writes “their agenda has fallen flat in their faces”, in response to those linking her to impersonation and those who claimed Adwoa Safo was not in town.
Earlier she had written “So now they say I went to sit in for Hon. Adwoa Safo yesterday in parliament… you people will not “kee” person. Afia Abr3 ooo”.
In another post, Afia Akoto, told Francisca Adjei, a known NDC activist, “I won’t engage you again on this. Let your MPs get to the bottom of this before Christmas or don’t ever come on my wall to challenge me on anything again”.
Afia, in reaction to pictures of herself posted by Accra FM which suggested she was the imposter angrily reacted on Facebook; “I still can’t believe a radio station will put this on their website without verification, just to get people to believe these lies of impersonation really took place. Look, let us not create problems where there is none.
Accra fm this is a no no no . Stop creating unnecessary content just for hype by putting an innocent person’s life at risk. This is a criminal offence you’ve leveled against me. The stakes are high currently, so be careful. @accra100.5fm”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, indicated that the Minority is probing the development.
“Following pictures and videos we are reviewing this [Wednesday] morning, it is becoming quite apparent to us that there may be a case of impersonation with regard to the lady who was presented as Adwoa Safo.
It’s beginning to appear that she may not be Adwoa Safo,” Mr. Ablakwa told Accra-based Joy FM.
Adwoa Safo, however, dismissed Okudzeto Ablakwa’s claims, saying “I cannot force Hon. Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is my friend on the other side, to dress the way I want him to dress, that is an insult to womanhood so those making that noise should withdraw.”
But Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has also said that the Minority is determined to bring finality to doubts over the presence or otherwise of Sarah Adwoa Safo in Parliament on November 30, to contribute to the business of the House.
Contributing to discussions on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, Muntaka Mubarak, indicated that the issue would be conclusively dealt with in no time, adding “Very soon, we’ll get to know whether Adwoa Safo was in the house yesterday or not’, Muntaka Mubarak”.
