Carlos Begs Over Callous Attacks

Hot-headed Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah, has apologized for yet another show of public misconduct, improper of an appointee of the Nana Akufo-Addo led government.

Mr. Ahenkorah, Member of Parliament for Tema West, on Tuesday threw caution to the wind and openly rained insults on his colleague Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa with rather unprintable words.

The shocking drama was captured on video and has since gone viral, sparking a growing public condemnation and an embarrassment for the Office of the Deputy Trade Minister.

The deputy Minister has however expressed regret and rendered a public apology for his lack of self-control and public misconduct.

“Ghanaians should forgive me and forgive my failings. When the matter came up and I had issues with it [the Minority’s approach], I should have taken my time and watched my temper….

“My brother, Okudzeto Ablakwa, although younger than me, is still my senior in Parliament. That exchange we had in Parliament should not have happened because we are two gentlemen… None of us acquitted ourselves well, but if he won’t apologize I will so that there will be peace and we can move past this.”

In a country where arrogance and show of power on the part of government appointees has always been a campaign currency for opposition parties, it is unfortunate that Mr. Ahenkorah, a deputy Minister of Trade often finds himself as the main character of acts of public unruliness.

Weeks ago, the same Carlos Ahenkorah, was suspended by Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) for misbehaving in public.

Carlos Ahenkorah, in that incident, lost his temper and physically   attacked the Tema Metropolitan Assembly Works Engineer who was on official duty, supervising the demolition of unauthorized structures built on the edges of a road in the metropolis.

The unauthorized structures, according to the Engineer, Maxwell Adu Boateng, were obstructing movement and traffic along the stretch hence the exercise.

This recent emotional outburst by Mr. Ahenkorah occurred when Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa was granting an interview to some journalists over the alleged extortion of money from expatriates who sat beside President Akufo-Addo during the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards few days ago.

The exact allegation was that the Trade Ministry charged participants at the Awards an amount of $100,000 to sit closer to the President.

An emotionally charged Deputy Minister rudely interrupted the interview without courtesy and described the North Tongu MP in unprintable words.

The allegation by the Minority in Parliament became a public issue, prompting the Office of the President to demand for a written explanation from the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen

On Thursday, the Information Minister Mustapha Hamid, issued a statement on the issue and said “the facts, as reported to the President, do not disclose any wrong doing on the part of the Minister or any governmental official”.

“The President has therefore asked the Minister to put those facts before the Ghanaian people,” the statement further said.

Source: thePublisher