Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Agyapong
• Kennedy Agyapong has been criticised for threatening a journalist for doing his work
• There have been several calls from social media users asking Kennedy Agyapong to resign as the Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee
• The Builsa South MP has opined that Kennedy Agyapong does not deserve to hold that chairmanship position because of what he termed as abusive attitude
Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Clement Apaak, has questioned the criteria used by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the leadership of the Minority in Parliament in appointing Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong as the Chairman of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee.
According to him, Kennedy Agyapong is noted for hurling insults and threatening top officials and parliamentarians.
The afore-mentioned behaviour, Clement Apaak said, makes the Assin Central MP unsuitable to hold the position conferred on him by President Akufo-Addo and the Majority in Parliament.
Clement Apaak, in a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, said, “How did Kennedy Agyapong become Chair of Committee in charge of law enforcement, security and protection of citizen rights? Is it not baffling that Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, with his record, was selected by his caucus leadership in Parliament in consultation with his party leadership, which includes President Akufo-Addo, to chair the committee on Defence and Interior of Parliament? Do you mean to tell me they didn’t know he was most unsuitable yet went ahead to assign him such a position?”
“The man insults and threatens the police top hierarchy, he insults and threatens the national security minister for speaking against party vigilantes, he insults and threatens Judges and the judiciary, he boasts about the number of vigilantes he has gotten into the police, army, and security agencies, he threatens media personnel and citizens with violence, he boasts about having no fear of the judiciary and security. Yet, he is put in charge of the committee of Parliament which oversees security agencies; Defence and Interior, by President Akufo-Addo and his NPP. What was the thinking, what is the motivation in appointing a man who has no respect for the law, lawless, to lead a committee that oversees law enforcement, internal and external security, law and order, and the protection of citizen rights?” Clement Apaak quizzed.
Kennedy Agyapong, on Net 2 TV on Friday, July 9, was reported to have verbally abused and threatened to attack journalist Asare Donkor “for the journalistic work that the latter undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura”.
The politician was filmed on the live Net 2 programme which was widely published on social media platforms, stating that, “if he [Mr Agyapong] were President, he would have ensured that Erastus Asare Donkor is beaten mercilessly.”
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has since referred Kennedy Agyapong to the Privileges Committee for allegedly instigating attacks against the journalist.
The directive issued by the Speaker on Wednesday, July 14, will enable the Ghanaian Parliament to decide if the alleged actions of Kennedy Agyapong breach the Standing Orders of Parliament and if so, recommend appropriate sanctions.
