I won’t shut up …even if you sack me as MP – Ken

Chairman of the Committee on Defence and the Interior in Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong  has said no amount of media trial, police invites or threats to expel him from Parliament would stop him from speaking publicly what he describes as his truth in the interest of Ghana.

“They think I am afraid? You cannot use the media and police to threaten me to keep my mouth shut. I would continue to speak the truth anytime….What would you do? Expel me from Parliament? Expel me for speaking the truth. No one can gag me from speaking the truth.  Let us not chase after money and behave in ways that can create conflict in this country”, an angry sounding Kennedy Agyapong noted.

Mr. Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central was speaking to Oman FM in response to reports that he had threatened and incited attacks against Luv FM journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor.

The MP has suffered some public bashings over the reports and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, has dragged him before the Privileges Committee for the matter to be investigated and appropriate sanctions delivered where necessary.

The Multimedia Group, owners of Luv FM and its affiliates has filed a formal complaint against Mr. Agyapong and demanded security protection for Erastus Asare Donkor.

However the development seems to have rather infuriated Mr. Agyapong and provoked him into making a cocktail of allegations against  Joy FM, one of the affiliates of the Multimedia Group.

Agyapong has also publicly insulted  his colleague Member of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini for moving a motion that he should be made to face the Privileges Committee.

Attacks On Suhuyini

Talking to Oman FM, Kennedy Agyapong had this to say in response to the move by Alhasan Suhuyini to drag him to face the Privileges Committee:

“You have gone to make a statement that I should be dragged to the Privileges Committee. I am now insulting him some more;  he is a foolish MP. Suhuyini, so stupid!

“He has nothing to show for in life so left with him alone, Ghana should have burnt down. That is Suhuyini for you. I am so disappointed in him because he plays politics with everything”, Agyapong noted.

He continued: “What would you do? Expel me from Parliament? Expel me for speaking the truth. No one can gag me from speaking the truth.  Let us not chase after money and behave in ways that can create conflict in this country. And that is exactly what Joy FM is doing. If there would be conflict in Ghana, then it is from Joy Fm and the reports they put out.”

Suhuyini Calls For Punishment

The MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini has not responded to the invectives of “foolish” and “stupid” used on him by the Assin Central MP

Rather, Suhuyini has insisted that Agyapong must be made to face the Committee to explain his conduct and that a mere verbal apology to the said journalist, Erastus would not be enough to right the wrong.

“I am for some level of punishment, especially when he (Kennedy Agyapong) is not a first time offender. He is one who has been referred to the Committee before. The Committee did, indeed find him guilty, and recommended some sanctions, out of which the House had to decide on which sanction to apply.

“Unfortunately the former Speaker of Parliament, Mike Oquaye never brought it up for the House to take a decision on the kind of punishment that was commensurate with the infraction that he was found guilty of, at the time. I am very certain that I am not the only one who holds this view,” Mr Suhuyini told Evans Mensah on Joy News.

Kennedy Explains Anger

According to Mr. Agyapong, he had neither threatened nor incited any form of attacks on Erastus Asare Donkor.

“Who is Erastus?  I don’t even know that guy. Is he better than the people who died at Ejura? You sit in Ghana and talk nonsense. Is he better than those who died? They are also human beings and have parents.

“I have not said anyone should kill him. I said if I were the President, I would have ordered for him to be lashed and beat the hell out of him. I have not asked for anyone to attack anybody. I have never said so anywhere”, Kennedy Agyapong added.

He explained that Joy FM had filed a news report that a #FixTheCountry activist had been attacked and killed by a mob at Ejura ostensibly because of his campaigns to get this government fix the country.

Mr. Agyapong said it was the way that story was reported that incited some residents of Ejura to go on rampage and eventually two persons got killed.

Eventually, Erastus went to testify before the Committee tasked to investigate the killings but Kennedy Agyapong believes if not for the initial report that an anti government campaigner had been killed by a mop, the two who died during the protests would have been alive.

He charged further: “Joy FM has to write an apology letter to the bereaved families of the families of the injured that were hospitalized before they can come talk about another person here. They should be ashamed of themselves.

“And I still repeat whatever I said that they are corrupt. I have dared Kwesi Twum. He said it is not true he had told me his station wants to destroy the government.  He told me in my office, and I am using the exact words he used: ‘my in-law, Joy FM is very angry with your people because they say they helped you in 2016 but since you came to power, you are not looking after them so they would go all out after you’.

“If the joke with me, I would reveal in public how they established that station. They should dare me and I would give you the history. They think I am afraid? You cannot use the media and police to threaten me to keep my mouth shut. I would continue to speak the truth anytime”, Kennedy Agyapong added.