Kennedy Nyarko Osei, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akim Swedru in the Eastern Region, has linked the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) the E-Levy cake at the Majority Leader’s 65th birthday celebration’s saying the Minority Caucus deliberately donated the cake to the celebrant to cause political mischief.
In several posts on his Facebook page, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP insisted that the E-Levy cake cut at the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs’ event was received from his colleagues in the Minority Caucus.
Interestingly, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu is yet to speak on the cake seen as taunting Ghanaians who have spoken against the E-Levy.
It is unclear why the 65th year-old man will be stupid enough to receive a customized cake like that from the opposition members whom he had not been on good terms hence unable to build the consensus needed to have the E-Levy bill passed.
But Mr. Nyarko Osei insists that it was donated to his leader the NDC adding that the pictures were deliberately taken and mischievously released hours to the “Yen tua demonstration” by the NDC youth to embarrass the government.
Again how the Minister, would be thoughtless enough receive and share a cake like that from his bitterest political enemies with his guests including the Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia and his wife; Semira, the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensa, the NPP Regional Chairman in the Ashanti Region Also present was the NPP Ashanti regional chairman Bernard Antwi Bosiako alias “Chairman Wontumi”.
Also present were Mr. Senyo Hosi, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors and the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah.
Mr. Nyarko Osei’s claim appears to be an attempt to douse the anger within even the ruling NPP over the cake.
In one of his Facebook posts, Mr. Nyarko Osei had stated that “Ignore any E-Levy cake being circulated. This was the original cake that was cut by the celebrant supported by his wife and the Veep as well. If someone else surprised him with another cake which is designed that way then why should he be blamed. Even if you hate the Government that much and wants to see its back you don’t put out things like this just to create hate for the Government”.
However, the NDC MP for Bongo in the Upper East Region, Edward Bawa has issued a disclaimer distancing the Minority from the E-Levy cake.
Mr. Bawa wrote “there is an E-Levy designed cake supposedly being the cake that was cut at the 65th birthday of Kyei Mensah Bonsu, the Hon Majority leader. Let me state that:
“1. No minority member was invited to the said party
“2. No member of the Minority or the Minority as a group presented any cake to Kyei Mensah Bonsu.
“3. The Minority considers the E-Levy issue as a serious one and won’t demonstrate such insensitivity towards Ghanaians.
“4. As far as the Minority is concerned, we are against the levy in all its forms.
Refereeing to the NDC, the Akim Swedru MP had insisted that “they took this pictures last Saturday when they presented the cake to the Majority Leader at the tail end of his party on behalf of their caucus and kept the pictures all this while and decided to release them ahead of the planned “Yentua Demonstration’’ to ruffle the feathers of Ghanaians to get them more angry at the Government to join their demonstration. Politics, a very deviant vocation”.
His third post on the E-Levy cake further said that “So your intention of surprising your own colleague at the tail end of the party with such a cake in your party color was to set him up and government against the Ghanaian people.
“Politics is deviant so never trust anyone not even the one you are within the same party.
“Just because they are embarking on their yentua demonstration tomorrow so they decided to put this picture out to anger the people when they themselves led by the caucus brought this surprise cake. Hmmmm
“If anybody doubts who brought the surprised cake and later took pictures should read it from star fm.
Interestingly, the Swedru MP who showed another cake, the official cake that was cut with the Vice President, the appears not to be the only one attributing the cake to the NDC MPs.
Ningo-Prampram MP Sam George yesterday faced off with fellow legislator Frank Annoh-Dompreh of Nsawam Adoagyiri Constituency, who doubles as the Majority Chief Whip, over claims that the minority in parliament presented E-Levy cake to the majority leader.
Many Ghanaians were enraged with the act considering the fact that a large section of the populace disagreed with the passing of the controversial E-Levy. Many felt offended and called out the Majority Leader for spiting Ghanaians with an E-Levy cake.
On the back of that, Frank Annoh-Dompreh in a Twitter post clarified that the cake was actually delivered mischievously by the Minority in parliament who wanted to use that as an avenue to score cheap political plaudits.
He had written: It’s amazing how a cake baked and delivered by the Minority has now been twisted for propaganda. My colleagues in the majority should simply be guided next time by this saying “Be careful of the Greeks and their Gifts” some cakes are simply a weapon!
But Sam George found the post quite misleading. He reacted by daring Annoh-Dompreh to call out the minority MP who sanctioned the delivery of the E-Levy cake.
He maintained that the NPP wanted to rope the NDC in after the displeasure that has greeted the E-Levy cake that Osei-Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu gladly cut to celebrate his birthday.
He wrote: Hon Majority Chief Whip, I dare you to name the Minority MP who got the cake delivered? Face it, your side has been insensitive to d Ghanaian people. Your Boss, d Majority Leader gleefully went to cut d cake and put out pictures of same. Integrity demands you prove your claim.
Meanwhile, Starr FM has taken down its claim that the cake was donated to the Majority leader by NDC MPs.
