The father of the two of Sarah Adwoa Safo’s kids, Kennedy Agyapong has drilled down into what many within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) see as a blackmail scheme plotted by the Dome-Kwabenya Member of Parliament (MP) to put the Akufo-Addo government in a difficult situation with its policies especially the passage of the E-levy.
From the account of Mr. Agyapong, the government is on its knees wailing, pleading and even throwing goodies at his babies mama just to come and shore up the numbers to have some key policies approved, but the lady is not heeding although picking up the treats including hard cash and private jet from the United States of America, thrown at her feet.
He did not mention the cost of flying her on the private jet from the US to Ghana, but it is obvious the Akufo-Addo government blew up the cash on her despite telling public sector workers it is broke and cannot give them their allowances or pay rise. Interestingly, Adwoa Safo wanted to fly back to the US on yet another private jet.
According to the father of Adwoa Safo’ two adorable kids, who doubles as the NPP MP for Assin Central, the desperation in government at a point got the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare to dole out a whooping GH¢120,000 the equivalent of US$17,000 to be deposited into the bank account of Sarah Adwoa Safo for her to attend to Parliament duties to work for the government.
“The Chief of Staff called me and I went, I swear my mother’s grave, Chief of Staff gave me ¢120,000 and deposited it into Adwoa Safo’s Fidelity Bank account. “I took the money there into the Fidelity Account, ask her personal assistant if what I am saying is not the truth,” a furious Mr. Agyapong said and very how a traditional ruler was sent to the US to get her to return to Ghana but was snubbed.
He added “Now we are in opposition, the way Adwoa Safo is treating the party, it is clearly showing that we are in opposition and this shouldn’t be tolerated at all,” he told Asaaso Radio on Tuesday February 22 in an interview with Kweku Nyirah Addo.
Mr Agyapong had raised issues against the conduct of Adwoa Safo accusing her of showing gross disrespect to the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, whom she had kept waiting at her gate with a motorcade for over 30 minutes, and her living room for 35 minutes just to plead with her to be in Parliament to help approve a government policy but by the time she came, the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has had left the House as he was tired, since he is unwell.
He said that the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has failed in life for demanding that Alexander Afenyo-Markin should publicly kicked out for her to be made a Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament wondering why a cabinet minister will now want to occupy a position that is below the rank of a Minister of State.
Speaking on the rampant absence of Adwoa Safo from Parliament, Mr Agyapong, who has two teenage children – a boy and girl- with her, said: “She says she wants to be Deputy Majority, that woman has failed in life. A whole cabinet minister is now demanding that she should be made a Deputy Majority Leader before she comes, she should go to hell.
“You don’t come to Parliament and you are on TikTok dancing? Dome Kwabenya is not for Apostle Kwadwo Safo, get it straight. I am very furious because people are insulting me because I went there to campaign for her. Mike Oquaye the Speaker, the man that I respect very well, I campaigned against his son because Adwoa used my kids, calling me and begging me to help her. And now everybody is insulting me for doing that but I have not regretted it, she is very responsible when it comes to the kids,” he had said on GTV Monday, February 21.
Asked how many days she has been absent from Parliament, he answered: “More than 15 days and the law says 15 days.”
Asked again whether Ghanaians should expect her seat to be declared vacant, he said: “Why not? She should go and contest on TikTok.”
Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) believe she is sabotaging the government.
For instance, the Member of Parliament for New Juabeng South, Michael Okyere Baafi, said she is making the work of the government in Parliament difficult.
“All the problems government is facing are attributable to Adwoa Safo. Clearly, her intention and posture show that she wants to sabotage the NPP,” he said on Kumasi-based Hello FM.
Below are excerpts of Kennedy Agyapong’s interview with Asaase Radio on Tuesday, 22 February 2022 on Accra-based Asaase Radio as the maverick MP responded to some criticisms thrown at the Akufo-Addo administration and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) by party stalwart Dr Richard Amoako Baah, in connection with calls by some prominent party figures to have Ms Safo’s seat declared vacant due to her protracted absence from parliament.
“Yesterday, I read – I don’t know how far it is true – [that] Dr Amoako Baah was saying that President Akufo-Addo has not treated Adwoa Safo well, the party has not treated Adwoa Safo well. I respect Dr Amoako Baah very well, so, I want to inform him quietly and nicely; I’ll not insult, I’ll not do anything but let him know that there are fine gentlemen and women in the party that have made several efforts to talk to Adwoa. First is the President himself. I don’t know why he has a soft spot for Adwoa Safo. Two, it’s the Chief of Staff; three is Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and myself”, Mr Agyapong began.
“Dr Amoako Baah, the treatment Adwoa Safo is giving to NPP today; if you think if Adwoa Safo’s seat is declared vacant, we are going to lose, we’ve already lost because the woman is in the name of NPP but she doesn’t come to parliament”.
“Now let me tell you; the true sons and daughters of NPP and how we think: NPP doesn’t belong to my family, it’s not an inheritance; we all, collectively believe in one ideology and joined the party, so, one person cannot impose his or her will on the party that, ‘this is the only thing that will make me join the party or do what you want me to do’. It is completely wrong”.
Mr Agyapong, who has two children with Adwoa Safo continued: “I did surgery, I was recovering; I spoke to the Chief of Staff and she said: ‘Look, rest before you come’. This same woman who said I should rest, made the call through Hon Asiamah that: ‘Look, there’s e-levy going on and we have a problem and we need you although I said you should rest, we need your vote’”.
“I flew first-class with Emirates but Hon. Asiamah, because they needed me, said: ‘Look, we are going to hire a private jet to come and pick you, people, up – Adwoa Safo, myself, Hon Henry Quartey and Hon Amoako-Attah. What I said to the minister is: ‘Please, I don’t want my name anywhere; you [give me] any flight because mine was going to be Monday and they needed the vote on Friday so the Thursday, I said, ‘any flight you get for me, I’ll come; I don’t want any private jet’”.
“Quartey drove from Philadelphia – Dr Amoako Baah should listen carefully [about] all the efforts everybody has made, the commitment that we’ve all made – Henry Quartey drove from Philadelphia to New York, Kennedy Airport; Hon Amoako-Attah flew from Minnesota to New York, Airport; I drove from New Jersey to New York. Adwoa [was in] Boston – Dr Amoako Baah, what do you know – Adwoa Safo refused to come. And NPP people should listen carefully”.
“Adwoa Safo, they hired a private jet to bring the woman here and when she came she refused to come to parliament. She refused to come to parliament”.
“The Chief of Staff, after buying the ticket and flying her in, had to take a motorcade to Adwoa’s house; she [Chief of Staff] stood behind her [Adwoa Safo’s] gate for 30 minutes. What kind of rudeness is that? Before she opened [the gate]. The Chief of Staff was made to sit at her [Adwoa Safo’s] living room for 35 minutes. When she [Adwoa Safo finally] came [to parliament], Bagbin was tired, he’s sick, he can’t wait. If you can’t get your numbers, so be it and we couldn’t vote. Going back [to the USA], she [Adwoa Safo] was demanding another private jet. Excuse me. Dr Amoako Baah, I’m sorry. You don’t know what has transpired”.
“They forced me to call Adwoa Safo; I placed a call through my daughter; 13 times, she [Adwoa Safo] refused to talk to me. What do you want us to do again?”
“A chief has travelled to where she is just to convince her; she refused to come. If we lose [Dome] Kwabenya seat, we’ve already lost. By her behaviour, we’ve lost. So, if there is a by-election and we lose, we don’t lose anything. Case closed”.
“I applaud Dokua. Dokua had given birth and after two weeks, she left the baby to come here; the second one, she came. Adwoa says no and now look at her conditions: demanding to be made a deputy majority leader and the announcement of the removal of Alexander Afenyo-Markin from that position.
“I had gone to Chief of Staff’s office to plead on behalf of Adwoa; she said, ‘my brother, please don’t go there. If you are saying A, B, C, D, I’ve just spoken to her: these are her demands’. So, I said, ‘well, I’ve done my part’.
“I’ve kids with her but it’s gotten to this point. This is purely politically. I think she’s wrong. She should rather apologise to the party. They should stop begging her”.
“Adwoa Safo; Chief of Staff called me, I went there. She [Chief of Staff] said now this is what she [Adwoa Safo] is saying; I swear on my mother’s grave; Chief of Staff gave me GHS120,000, deposited in Adwoa Safo’s Fidelity Bank account. I put the money there in her Fidelity [Bank] account. Ask her PA if what I’m saying is not the truth. The way Adwoa is treating the party, it’s clearly showing that we are in opposition and this should not be tolerated at all”.
