I beg like a kid to get gov’t contracts – Ken Agyapong

Assin Central MP, a stalwart of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong, has said he begs before he is awarded a contract in his own party and government.

The lawmaker said contrary to perceptions that members of the government maybe having it all rosy, the opposite is rather the case.

He said he has his own problems in government but the NPP is paramount and he would always put the party first above his own interest.

“I beg like a kid if I want a contract before they give me something. And when you go for 100 they will give you a piece, 20. I look at them and say: ‘Lord forgive them fir they don’t know what they are doing’ but we are still surviving, so it’s not rosy as you see it out there, we all have problems but party first,” Mr Agyapong said on Accra-based Asaase radio.

His statement was in reaction to alleged demands being made by Dome Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo before she attends parliament to shore up the Majority numbers for the passage of the controversial E-levy.

With a hung parliament, the NPP cannot pass the E-levy without Ms Safo’s vote.

She has also been absent from parliament for weeks and has been accused of holding the government to ransom for her personal gains.

According to Mr Agyapong, the party has tried all it can to convince Ms Safo to go to parliament for the passage of the e-levy but all to no avail.

He said President Akufo-Addo, Chief of Staff Frema Osei-Opare, Majority leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and himself [Ken Agyapong] have all tried to convince her to attend parliament but she has refused.

He revealed that the Chief of staff sent a private jet to bring the Dome Kwabenya lawmaker to Ghana from the United States to vote for the passage of the e-levy.

On the voting day, she deliberately delayed and by the time she got to parliament, the Speaker had left and so voting could not take place.

“Chief of staff after buying her ticket and flying her in had to take a motor cade to Adwoa’s house. She stood behind her gate for 30 minutes, what kind of rudeness is that before she opened.

“Chief of staff was made to sit in her living room for 35 minutes and when she [Adwoa Safo] came [to parliament] Bagbin was tired; he’s sick, he couldn’t wait and we couldn’t vote. Going back, she was demanding another private jet…” Mr Agyapong angrily narrated.

Mr Agyapong is calling for her seat to be declared vacant.

“Now we are in opposition, the way Adwoa is treating the party clearly shows now we are in opposition and this shouldn’t be tolerated at all,” he lamented.

According to Mr Agyapong Ms Safo wants to be made the Deputy Majorty Leader before she attends parliament.

Source: Classfmonline.com