How Afenyo-Markin answered questions about ‘absentee’ Adwoa Safo

Journalists are asking where she is

Afenyo-Markin has been avoiding such questions

Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, Deputy Majority Leader, seems to have given journalists a hard time whenever they seek to ask him questions regarding his colleague ‘absentee’ MP, Sarah Adwoa Safo.

The Effutu MP, who is very vocal when he is on the floor of the Parliament House and also in interviews with journalists, seems to find the right answers to answer ‘where Sarah Adwoa Safo is?’

GhanaWeb monitored the MP’s interview on Adom TV, Thursday, February 24, where he could only be silent checking WhatsApp messages on his phone, whilst the Host of Badwam, Omanhene Kwabena Asante kept asking the whereabout of his colleague, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Afenyo-Markin, throughout, the interview had spoken extensively on a wide range of national and Parliament issues but tried hard to avoid issues of UEW to Adwoa Safo.

There have been calls for the governing NPP to make the Dome-Kwabenya seat vacant so that a by-election can be held to elect a new Member of Parliament.

This according to some NPP supporters will allow for Parliamentary business to continue since absentee MP for the area, Sarah Adwoa Safo is impeding progress.

Adwoa Safo has been absent from Parliament for a while following an extension of her leave which was granted by the President in 2021.

But when Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin appeared on Adom TV, the journalist, Omanhene Kwabena Asante kept asking:

“When will Adwoa Safo come, or she has come,” he repeatedly asked. He called the MP who was busy on his mobile phone, “Hon Afenyo-Markin, when will Adwoa Safo come?”

The MP responded, “Omanhene, let’s move on.”

The journalist tried to use a different approach to ask a closely related question; “is she still a member of the New Patriotic Party?”

The MP did not mind him but kept on fidgeting with his phone. The journalist kept pressing on the MP to at least say something concerning Sarah Adwoa Safo but the MP avoided it.

“Omanhene you said you have eight minutes…,” the MP said but the journalist was still pushing with his question about Adwoa Safo and whether she is still a member of the governing NPP.

“Hon Afenyo-Markin you speak to that matter for me,” the journalist seems to force the MP.

“Now, it is by force…you’ve forgotten that when you are interviewing me, I am not obliged [to answer all your questions]; a lot of politicians make that mistake, today let’s do some public education…most at times, you push people to…,” Afenyo-Markin told the host who quickly pushed his question “is she still a member of the NPP?”

“When certain facts are notorious to you, what do you do, I’m asking you?” the Deputy Majority Leader said.

The journalist then responded “rhetorical” and asked again, “is she still a minister of the governing NPP?”

“You see, Omanhene, I am a Member of Parliament for Effutu, you know that. You know that no MP has appointing powers, you know…Omanhene do you want me to [continue] check my WhatsApp messages?” Afenyo-Markin stressed.