Phillis Naa Koryoo
The under-a-year tenure of the MP for Awutu Senya East, Naa Koryoo, has been a chequered one.
Her journey to Parliament seems to have been cursed by a concocted story of being targeted by imaginary firearms-wielding assailants. She came dangerously close to pushing the country to the precipice, only for divine intervention to prevent disaster.
Just when the fabricated claims appeared to secure her a place in Parliament, the Interior Minister’s report spoilt the narrative.
Alhaji Mubarak Muntaka, a Zongo son known for his steadfast commitment to truth and principles, stood firm regardless of political affiliations. Renowned for his integrity and adherence to his faith, he does not tolerate falsehoods. Many were surprised he did not manipulate the contents of the report on the 2024 election violence, as a typical NDC politician might have done.
Following the humiliation occasioned by the Interior Minister’s report, Naa Koryoo responded with a press conference filled with infuriation but lacking substance. In doing so, she effectively called the bluff of a seasoned politician. The crestfallen MP has launched a battle she is unlikely to finish and will likely regret, having ignored the wisdom of letting sleeping dogs lie.
The Kasoa thugs responsible for the attacks on Ms Hawa Koomson during the Ablekuma North incidents cannot shield Naa Koryoo from the consequences should the Interior Minister choose to retaliate. Mature and measured, he is more likely to let her flounder in the aftermath of her own misjudgments. As a novice in the political chess game, Naa Koryoo has much to learn if she hopes for another term. She has already disappointed her party supporters, who have downgraded her rating.
Her press conference, delivered in a slangish and pedantic style, failed to achieve its intended objective of undermining the Interior Minister’s report. Instead, it exposed her vulnerabilities to public ridicule. She did not deny the alarming picture she painted of election day, in a futile attempt to discredit the findings prepared by professional security personnel.
To be fair, given the magnitude of her humiliation, she could not have remained silent without attempting some form of rebuttal, however ineffective.
Naa Koryoo has faced numerous challenges, and one can only urge the Interior Minister to ignore her tantrums, which are little more than face-saving gimmicks from a political newcomer. Her credibility suffered further when the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) exposed her unworthiness of a PhD, a humiliation that alone might have warranted resignation from the dignified House of Parliament.
As if fate were intent on undermining her, she has now been presented to the Ghanaian public as someone who rode on mendacity to earn a seat in Parliament.