Sam George takes on Oppong-Nkrumah over Kpebu 'attack'

Akufo-Addo has failed in the fight against corruption, Legal luminary

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Your comment is without factual basis, Information Minister

Was using 'papano' in parliament factual and fair? Sam George asks Oppong-Nkrumah

Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam Nartey George, has jumped to the defence of private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, who described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as a criminal syndicate member.

The private legal luminary while speaking on Joynews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, July 23, 2022, accused President Akufo-Addo of being an ‘abysmal failure’ as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.

His comment came on the back of the recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah in reaction to Martin Kpebu's claim that the president is part of a criminal syndicate described it as unprofessional and shameful.

He added that the accusation was without any factual basis and Ghanaians must be responsible for their speech even though the country upholds freedom of speech and association.

It is shameful and totally unprofessional to hear lawyer Kpebu without any factual basis, accuse the President of the Republic of being a member of a criminal syndicate. Even more worrying is the fact that a media house which is to be respected,

— Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (@konkrumah) July 23, 2022

Wading into the controversy, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, questioned whether it was fair for Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah to have described a fellow parliamentarian as 'papano' during a debate in parliament.

He further quizzed whether his statement during a parliamentary debate was factual.

In August 2020, Oppong Nkrumah referred to his colleague John Jinapor as 'papa no', which infuriated the NDC caucus in parliament.

Speaking at the Appointments Committee vetting before his reappointment as Information Minister for a second term, Oppong Nkrumah explained that his remark was said in jest and not meant to undermine the gravity of the ongoing debate on the floor of Parliament that day.

In a tweet sighted by GhanaWeb, Sam George said, "Dear @konkrumah, when you used Papano in your debate in Parliament, was that factual and fair? Was there an iota of truth in it? Let's denounce vile politics by all means but that should not stop us from speaking truth to those in power. Sure you agree my Brother. Cheers."

Read Sam George's tweet below;

Dear @konkrumah, when you used Papano in your debate in Parliament, was that factual and fair? Was there an iota of truth in it? Let's denounce vile politics by all means but that should not stop us from speaking truth to those in power. Sure you agree my Brother. Cheers. ????

— Sam 'Dzata' George (@samgeorgegh) July 23, 2022

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