The managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has said that he is very worried about the exchange of words between two leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), lawyer Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and the Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
According to him, the details emerging from the clash between Gabby and Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu feed into the narration of a state capture by the family of the president.
Pratt Jnr, who made these remarks during a panel discussion on Good Morning Ghana, monitored by GhanaWeb, added that the clash means that the president and his family are trying to impose their will on the NPP.
“… signals that come from these clips (audio-visuals of Gabby and Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu berating each other) is that there is so much confusion; that there is no clear focus under these political leaders, maybe courting serious trouble.
“Why do I say this? You listened to the majority leader and he draws the president’s brother, Bumty (Edward Akufo-Addo), right into the centre of everything that is happening. Only last week, I read a statement made by the president’s brother in another forum in which he says that he is a private citizen, and is not involved in government affairs.
“Then today we hear the majority leader say that he received a call from the president’s brother who says he is an innocent person… interfering in the workings of Members of Parliament – actually trying to figure out how the majority may be able to manage the situation. Can you imagine the damage that has been done to the president’s brother?” he questioned.
“… then there is a perception of what they call a family and friends government. What does this claim do to that perception, it deepens that perception,” the veteran journalist added.
The Majority Leader of Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, expressed anger over some allegations levelled against him by a stalwart of the New Patriotic Party, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
According to the Member of Parliament for Suame, Otchere-Darko has wrongly accused him of being the mastermind behind some NPP MPs demanding the sacking of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
“From nowhere, we hear Gabby Otchere-Darko on his Asaase Radio accusing me of instigating what was happening, for what? What do I stand to gain from that?” he retorted.
Speaking in an interview with Kumasi-based Sompa Radio, the majority leader questioned the authority of the cousin of the finance minister for leveling such allegations against him.
“There are people who would rather want to cause disintegration while you are committed to integrating. But now this has brought about another sense of anger. That Gabby Otchere-Darko, who does he think he is? I serve Akufo-Addo, and I serve the party as well as the government… when we talk about the government itself, what is your locus standi to be accusing me of being an instigator?” the majority leader questioned.
But Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko refuted claims that he is on record as having accused Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu of being the ringleader of the anti-Ofori-Atta NPP MPs, who are seeking the dismissal of the finance minister.
Watch the interview below:
