The Pharisee stood and prayed thus: with himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector… and the tax collector standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner…!” Luke 18:10 – 13
Kennedy Agyapong is no stranger to controversy. One could add that he is outspoken and fearless. In a sense, one could call him a maverick politician.
The word ‘maverick’ has gone beyond its modest roots as a simple noun, to transform into a symbolic shape as a metaphor. It refers to a person who is not afraid to defy tradition, and custom but follows his own trail as an independent thinker.
‘Maverick’ originated in San Antonio, Texas in the 1830s where Samuel Augustus Maverick, a rich lawyer defied the custom of branding one’s cattle, and refused to brand the cattle in his ranch. History has it that in a battle, he was arrested, and offered the chance to be freed after signing a document agreeing that Texas had been illegally seized and should be returned to Mexico.
Maverick refused the offer, writing: “I cannot bring myself to think that it would be in the best interest of Texas to reunite with Mexico. This being my settled opinion, I cannot sacrifice the interest of my country even to obtain my liberty, still less can I say so when such is not my opinion, for I regard as a crime and one which I cannot commit. I must, therefore, make up my mind to wear my chains, galling as they are.”
Kennedy Agyapong stoked the flame of more controversy last week in a campaign for his brother, Ralph Kwame Agyapong, who is bent on unseating Francis Asenso-Boakye, once Deputy Chief of Staff, but now, Minister for Works and Housing. You may remember that President Nana Addo touted Asenso-Boakye’s ‘hard work’ when the president came to inaugurate a library in the Bantama Constituency last year.
The President said: “It will hurt me so much if the people of Bantama throw him away. Give him the opportunity to represent you again, and he will come and continue the good job he has been doing.”
But Kennedy Agyapong, noted for his ‘showdowns’ brazenly did what some people call the ‘unthinkable’. He charged, “If you make a mistake and vote for Asenso, you will all bear witness to the revelations I will unveil… if you don’t want me to talk, vote against him, if you want me to talk vote for him, because we will not allow ‘them’ to destroy Ghana… we have nowhere to go (apart from Ghana).”
Kennedy Agyapong’s “fire” did not end on this treat. There was this ‘allegation’ of Asenso teaming up with a former Chief Justice to ‘steal’ the bungalow of a Supreme Court Judge, the late Marful-Sau. We thought it was a good idea to pull down the ‘colonial’ bungalows (one bungalow sitting on one acre of land), and build more bungalows to house a good number of judges.
So we continue to pay judges 20% of their gross salaries in lieu of accommodation. In Accra, Cantonments, Labone, Roman Ridge, are closer to the Courts. One would have thought that Ghana’s Bureaucracy is growing and the rapid expansion of accommodation should ordinarily be a welcome idea – need we forget that this idea of re-development of Accra started under J. J. Rawlings in 1992?
Of course, the Judicial Service has responded to the allegations of sale of the residence of the late Marful-Sau (Bungalow Number C43 Onyasia Crescent Roman Ridge, Accra). The statement explains that it was on December 28, 2022 that the Ministry of Works and Housing wrote to the Service that the bungalows allocated to Justice Marful-Sau and Justice Victor Ofoe fell within the re-development enclave.
The Judicial Service insisted and was allocated four housing units. An agreement was entered into by the Judicial Service, and the Ministry of Works and Housing, dated February 17, 2023. “The plan under Government’s Redevelopment Scheme as expressed to the Judicial Service was to increase the housing stock in the enclave within a two-year period from the date of handover of the properties to the Ministry.
Upon completion of the project, four housing units were to be allocated to the Judicial Service for use by Superior Court Judges,” the statement adds.
The statement continues: “The Judicial Service accepted the offer recognising the serious accommodation deficit faced by the Judiciary whilst taking into consideration the security and safety requirements of judges; also convinced that the project will be beneficial to the Judicial Service.
Following a series of meetings between representatives of government, Judicial Service and the Ministry of Works and Housing regarding the two properties mentioned above, an agreement dated February 17, 2023 was entered into, between the Judicial Service and the Ministry of Works and Housing to proceed with the project. Developments on the said land are, therefore, covered by an agreement concluded between the Judicial Service and the Ministry of Works and Housing.”
The Ministry of Works and Housing had, by a statement on January 14, 2024, refuted the claims that Francis Asenso-Boakye had planned to sell the official residence of the late Marful-Sau. The statement read in part: “For the avoidance of doubt, the said land has not been sold as it is mischievously being alleged, and remains the property of the state. The Government Redevelopment Programme (GRP) is rather a cost-effective undertaking which ultimately gives optional benefit, and ensures efficient use of government lands.”
Some of the Bantama NPP delegates took the statement by Ken Agyapong as an insult on the delegates, and nothing else. Was Ken Agyapong at Bantama to sell his brother to the delegates? One delegate remarked: “I remember Mr. Agyapong claiming that he sold chewing gum in his life, so what is wrong with a mother selling food to see her son through education. It was unfortunate for an MP to treat a fellow MP in such an ugly manner.”
Another delegate said: “I supported Mr. Agyapong during the primaries but what he came to do in the campaigning for his brother is not something that should be entertained.”
A commentator noted: “Kennedy Agyapong is the quintessential Ghanaian politician. They are the major characters of the tragedy, but they are loath to reckon with their past. They never confront their demons, and admit their failures. They externalise blame and sell themselves as the solution.”
Who are we to advise Kennedy Agyapong? Gordon Asare Bediako, Editor of the ABC newspaper asserts, “No individual is bigger than the NPP”. He adds, “Distractions through unwarranted and boastful rhetoric by some individuals should not be tolerated because everybody’s contribution, no matter how small, is important. Mutual respect is important in every grouping, invectives, and threats of revealing so-called non-existent corruption cases against others is a bad conduct…”
Prof. Mike Oquaye must be minding his words. As an elder of the party, he would be non-committal when interviewed by TV3 on Kennedy. Who are we to comment to give unsolicited advantage to NDC?
By AfricanusOwusu-Ansah