NPP must punish “reckless” Ken Agyapong - Group

A youth advocacy group within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) known as ‘Save NPP Now’ has petitioned Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, requesting the removal of Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP), Kennedy Agyapong as a Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications, for hurling abuses at a female radio presenter in Accra.

In a statement released Monday February 8, 2016 and signed by its Director of Communications Baah Acheamfour, the group said it felt “scandalised”, “astonished and embarrassed” by the “wayward” and “reckless conduct” of Mr Agyapong, who is a member of the party.

The lawmaker in the past week engaged in vitriolic exchanges with radio presenter Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, more popularly referred to as Afia Schwarzenegger, on radio and social media.

But the group feels the attitude of Mr Agyapong, must be punished.

In view of that the group has asked the Minority Leader to remove Mr Agyapong as Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications to protect the sanctity of parliament.

The statement said: “…It is our manifest intention, through this petition, to call on your good office and the Leadership of Parliament, to remove Mr. Kennedy Agyapong as the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications with immediate effect since his thoughtless comments and insults are a disgrace to Parliament in general and the NPP in particular.”

The statement is published below:

SAVE NPP NOW!

PRESS RELEASE

7TH FEBRUARY, 2016

THE MINORITY LEADER
PARLIAMENT OF GHANA
ACCRA

Dear Sir,
PETITION TO REMOVE MR. KENNEDY AGYAPONG AS THE RANKING MEMBER ON THE PARLIAMENTARY-SELECT COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS.

We, the members of SAVE NPP NOW, a youth advocacy group within the NPP are scandalized with the unprintable insults which were recently heaped on a female radio presenter by the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Agyapong.

It goes without saying that the New Patriotic Party does not subscribe to such unguarded, uncivilized and uncouth utterances from its Members of Parliament. Therefore, we are still astonished and embarrassed that a Member of Parliament on the ticket of the NPP who serves a very sensitive Parliamentary Committee, would commit himself to such wayward and reckless conduct.

It is public knowledge that Mr. Kennedy Agyapong has a reputation as a noisy politician with an acidic tongue, whose shameful actions have not attracted any sanctions from the august house of Parliament, the Minority Caucus nor the Party. We consider this development as unfortunate since Mr. Kennedy Agyapong has consistently dragged the good name of Parliament and NPP into total disrepute and exposed Parliament and our Party to international ridicule.

The sanctity of Parliament ought to be respected by its Members through responsible, respectful and exemplary conduct, which Mr. Kennedy Agyapong undoubtedly falls short of. It is regrettable that in this age and time where MPs are supposed to be focused on imbibing best practices in passing useful legislations, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong has found an unbridled appetite for engaging in indecent behaviour on radio and television.

We are very much aware that Mr. Paul Afoko once suggested that Mr. Kennedy Agyapong be changed as the Ranking Member on Communications in order to save the party from further embarrassment. However, the Flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo vehemently opposed that suggestion. Does Nana Addo endorse and support the disgraceful behaviour of Kennedy Agyapong? We do not want to believe that Nana Addo pats him on the back and congratulates him for a good job done after every act of indiscipline, repugnant and unacceptable behaviour.

Therefore, it is our manifest intention through this petition, to call on your good office and the Leadership of Parliament to remove Mr. Kennedy Agyapong as the Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Communications with immediate effect since his thoughtless comments and insults are a disgrace to Parliament in general and the NPP in particular.

Long live Ghana
Long live NPP
#SAVE NPP NOW.

………….Signed………

Baah Acheamfour
Director of Communications, SAVE NPP NOW

CC:
The Speaker of Parliament
The Majority Leader
The Minority Caucus
The Flagbearer, NPP
The National Chairman, NPP
All Civil Society Organizations
All Media Houses