2012 IEA debate: I didn’t leak questions to Mahama – Professor Opoku-Agyemang

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the running mate of the National Democratic Congress has denied claims that she leaked questions to NDC candidate John Mahama during the 2012 Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) presidential debate.

Education Minister, Matthew Opoku Prempeh questioned Professor Opoku-Agyemang integrity when she was first appointed as running mate for John Mahama.

Napo stated without verifiable evidence that the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast who was a moderator of the debate leaked questions to Mahama in exchange for a ministerial position.

“We will talk about integrity not only about education. I will talk about integrity because I remember that as Director of Elections 2012 someone went to plant a question which was not part of the questions during the IEA debate for John Mahama to answer so she could be given a Ministerial position, we will talk about it”, he alleged in a Joy News interview.

But in an interview with Citi TV, Professor Opoku-Agyemang said she would never sell her reputation for a political position.

She emphasized that she was appointed to moderate the debate alongside Opong Nkrumah because she had a reputation of being impartial and non-partisan.

She stated that at the time she was moderating the debate, she was not a key member of the NDC.

“The question bank was not created by us… The person is there to explain why they want the position not to you but the audience,” she noted.

One of the allegations that has also been levelled against Naana Opoku-Agyemang is that she was nominated by the NDC to handle the debate but according to her that is not the case.

“I was not invited to that debate by the NDC. Far from it. I was invited to that debate because somebody thought I would be fair and I liked that fairness,” she retorted.

That debate was between four presidential candidates Mr. Mahama, New Patriotic Party flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo, People’s National Convention flagbearer, Hassan Ayariga, and the Convention Peoples Party’s Dr. Abu Sakara.