• He said women do so many things when they can’t have children
• He used the same word "fake" to debunk reports about assembly members donating to his father's funeral
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, has in the space of a week has made the headlines for the wrong reasons.
The Minister has either been trying to defend a statement which sought to demand contributions for his father’s funeral or making some claims that the women do so many things when they can’t have children.
Both reactions to media reportage ended with the common word “fake.”
GhanaWeb has put together two major instances where the Western Regional Minister, who doubles as the MP for Takoradi has described media reportage as fake.
Memo asking donations to sponsor his father’s funeral
On Thursday, September 16, 2021, GhanaWeb intercepted a letter from the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC), asking Metropolitan Municipal District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and Metropolitan Municipal District Chief Directors (MMDCDs) to contribute towards the final funeral rites of the Minister's father.
The letter which is on the letterhead of the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) dated September 15, 2021, and signed by the Chief Director/RCD, Fredrick Agyemang, was directing all the 14 assemblies in the Western Region to contribute a total of GH¢ 49,000 towards the funeral.
The introduction of the said letter suggests that, there have been prior discussions with the deans of all MMDCEs and MMDCDs discussing how best they can support the Regional Minister to give his late father, Nana Boanyina Adusei Mensah II, a befitting burial.
GhanaWeb checks reveal that some MCEs were yet to receive the letter but there had been an earlier funeral invitation from the WRCC inviting all the 14 assemblies and their MCEs to the funeral which was slated to take place between September 23 to 25, 2021 at Boanim in the Ashanti Region.
“Following a decision with the deans of MMDCEs and MMDCES… it has been decided that your MMDA is to contribute the following amount towards the final funeral rites of the late father of the Hon Regional Minister, Nana Boanyina Adusei Mensah II, Boanimhene…”, the letter directed.
It continued: “Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Prestea Huni Valley Municipal, Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal, Ellembelle District and Effia Kwesiminstim Municipal Assemblies [are to pay an amount of] GH¢5,000 each.
“Ahanta West Municipal, Wassa Amenfi East Municipal, Wassa Amenfi West Municipal and Jomoro Assemblies [are to pay] GH¢3,500 each.
"Wassa East District, Shama District, Wassa Amenfi Central District, Nzema East Municipal and Mpohor District Assemblies [are to pay] GH¢2,000 each.”
In his response, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah indicated that the memo circulating on social media asking MMDAs to contribute money for his father’s funeral was fake.
“I’ve seen the memo flying around. I’ve checked and nothing like that has been written and submitted to me. There is no seal on the letter because all my letters have a seal on them. Clearly, it is fake and disingenuous. I’ve asked them to investigate it," Mr Darko-Mensah said in an interview with Asaase Radio.
“I’ve not made any such request. It’s false,” the minister stressed.
Taadi woman faked pregnancy and kidnap
Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, following the kidnap of Josephine Panyin Mensah, told the media that the whole story of kidnap and being pregnant was fake.
He said preliminary investigation by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) had revealed that the kidnapping of a pregnant woman in Takoradi is fake.
It has also emerged that the 29-year-old woman was not pregnant as widely reported.
“From their preliminary investigations, NIB suspects that this whole story was fake and that the medical doctor who has even looked at her revealed she wasn’t pregnant. That is the immediate information that we have. The police are still with her,” he told Kumasi based Kessben FM.
Later on Angel FM, Kobby reiterated his point, "I want to put it on record based on the information the security agency has provided to me that the woman was not pregnant. She was not pregnant according to the doctor who attended to her at Axim. Secondly, she wasn't beaten by anyone as earlier reported.
"If you are a woman who hasn't given birth in a community where you are being pressurized to have a baby, women do so many things, sometimes these things happen."
His responses to the media contradict what Josephine Panyin Mensah’s husband Michael Simons, has told the media.
Simons said the comments by Regional Minister are not only insensitive but an insult to the family.
Expressing his excitement upon the return of his wife, Michael Simons further indicated that, the family would not entertain such reckless claims by the Minister.
“It was unfortunate for the Minister to make the comments despite what the family had gone through,” he said.
Meanwhile, the mother of Josephine Panyin Mensah, Agnes Essel has confirmed her daughter had been with her for the past three weeks until the day she was allegedly kidnapped.
She said, during that period, her daughter had been visiting the Takoradi Hospital for checkups.
Agnes Essel added that her daughter has an antenatal book which according to her confirms the pregnancy.
Meanwhile, the Administrator of the Takoradi Hospital popularly known as European Hospital, Rev. Osei Boateng, has also confirmed that Josephine frequented the hospital before she went missing.
Watch Josephine's mother interview with TV3 below.
Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah