8 months after dubious leave of absence; Ken Agyapong only interested in her legislative duties
The President and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), appears to be playing with the minds of Ghanaians over issues surrounding the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, who is being accused of holding the government to ransom, demanding she is made a Deputy Majority Leader, aside her cabinet job in the Akufo-Addo government.
Ms. Sarah Adwoa Safo, has been out of the country and her job as Minister of Gender and Social Protection since July 2021, and report are that she continuous to collect salaries every month since then, although it is clear she is not working both as an MP and as a Minister.
The problem is more with President Akufo-Addo still keeping her in office than the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin’s readiness to trigger her dismissal from Parliament.
Many of NPP MPs are pushing for her expulsion from the House and her seat declared vacant if she refuses to return to Ghana from the United States to help ensure government business, however, those pushing for her sacking, have conveniently avoided asking President Akufo-Addo, to sack her from his government.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Michael Okyere Baafi, as well as the Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, have separately hit hard at Sarah Adwoa Safo over her demand that Alexander Afenyo-Markin be sent packing for her to occupy his position, but the two appear unready to call on the President, to dismiss her from his government.
But, there is nothing unusual about Sarah Adwoa Safo’s demand to be part of the Majority leadership in Parliament as this is not the first time she will be playing the dual role. In the first term of President Akufo-Addo, she was both Minister of Public Procurement as the Deputy Majority Leader.
Dome Kwabenya MP left town in the wake of her clashes with Gertrude Quashigah, widow of Major Courage Emmanuel Kobla Quashigah, onetime Minister of Food and Agriculture as well as Health, who is the National Coordinator in the of School Feeding Programme.
Upon discovery that Sarah Adwoa Safo had left town unannounced, the President conveniently decided to cover her up with a letter publicly granting her leave extension and asking the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, was asked to take over the Gender Ministry as her additional responsibility as a caretaker Minister.
President Akufo-Addo, had in a press statement dated October 6, 2021 extended a leave of absence for Gender Minister. Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources to act as caretaker Minister.
Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin in the statement said Adwoa Safo’s leave has been extended but did not mention when it started and also failed to state when she will resume.
“In her absence, and until further notice, President Akufo-Addo has directed the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, to act as caretaker Minister,” the statement said but interestingly, when Adwoa Safo returned to Ghana from the US to help approve the 2022 budget, she stayed away from the Ministry indicative of something missing.
Surprisingly, it is emerging that the Dome Kwabenya MP is not the only one who has been out of the House. The Herald’s checks from the Votes and Proceedings of Parliament is showing the absentee status of the offending 3 NPP MPs. They had been absent from the House for over 15 working days without permission.
They include Kennedy Agyapong himself, Henry Quartey; the Greater Accra Regional Minister and Sarah Adwoa Safo.
Meanwhile, the Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, appears ready and willing to sacrifice the mothers of children for a good moment.
The latest woman to fall victim to this is the Dome Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo, with whom he has two children.
In 2020 Moira Dawson-Williams, who has a daughter with him, was also verbally abused with her daughter mentioned by him as being on hard drugs to the surprise of many.
But the heat is not Sarah Adwoa Safo, whom Mr. Agyapong, is accusing of holding the governing NPP to ransom with her demand that she be made the Deputy Majority Leader aside keeping her cabinet job as Minister of the Gender and Social Protection, before she shows up in parliament to vote for the controversial e-levy.
Mr. Agyapong made the revelation when he spoke on GTV on Monday, 21 February 2022.
“She says she wants to be a Deputy Majority Leader,” he told the state-run TV station’s morning show, adding, “That woman has failed in life”.
“A whole minister, a cabinet minister, now demanding that she should be made a Deputy Majority Leader before she comes; she should go to hell,” Mr. Agyapong dared the former Deputy Majority Leader, who is now the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Asked if Adwoa Safo made her request officials, Mr. Agyapong said, “Yes, she has requested that,” adding, “Don’t think I have two kids with her and, therefore, I’ll never speak the truth. I’ll speak the truth even at gunpoint and die. That is exactly what she is doing”.
Asked further about whether her behavior is something that could cost her a seat, the Assin Central MP said, “Of course, yes,” explaining, “If you don’t come to parliament and you are TikTok dancing, excuse me”.
“Dome Kwabennya is not for Apostle Kwadwo Safo. Get it straight,” Mr. Agyapong told Adwoa Safo.
“And I am very furious because people are insulting me because I went there to campaign for her”, noting: “Mike Oquaye, the Speaker, a man that I respect very well … [I campaigned against his son] because Adwoa used my kids; the kids were calling: ‘Daddy, please, you have to support mummy and do this, and, now, everybody is insulting me for doing that but I’ve not regretted because she’s very responsible when it comes to the kids so I don’t have a problem,” he noted.
Asked if her seat should be declared vacant after 15 days of not showing up in parliament as stipulated by the law, Mr Agyapong said: “Why not?” adding: “She should go and contest on Tiktok”.
However, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has in a statement said that “a thorough and unimpeachable assessment of the Votes and Proceedings of Parliament — between October 26, 2021 and November 24, 2021; two NPP MPs: Ken Ohene Agyapong and Henry Quartey who is also Greater Accra Regional Minister were absent without permission from the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Alban S.K. Bagbin, for 18 working days each”.
In a facebook post yesterday, he wrote “I am therefore perplexed and wondering, in all sincerity, the basis for the discriminatory and unprincipled attacks on Sarah Adwoa Safo by our colleagues on the NPP side of the House, and particularly from Ken Ohene Agyapong who is equally guilty of the same offence he’s been raving and ranting about.
“In all fairness, we expect and will also ensure that the Privileges Committee considers the matter of three absenting MPs and not one. Article 97 (1) (c) of the 1992 Constitution and Order 16 (1) of our Standing Orders must not and will not be applied selectively, adding “realistically, Ghanaians should be preparing for three by-elections in Assin Central, Ayawaso Central and Dome/Kwabenya”.
