A decision by private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu to describe finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta as a ‘brother’ of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was heavily contested by Habib Iddris, the deputy majority chief whip.

Habib Iddris, who was a co-panelist with Kpebu on TV3’s Key Point program, had a bone to pick with the lawyer over his attempts to rope President Akufo-Addo into the discussion around Data Bank’s involvement in some major financial deals with the government.

Martin Kpebu argued that President Akufo-Addo has so far watched on unconcerned because his family was benefiting from those deals through his ‘brother’ Ken Ofori-Atta.

Habib Iddris, who is also the lawmaker for the Nanton constituency, rejected the claim by Martin Kpebu, arguing that he was engaging in propaganda and mischief with that line of thought.

He, therefore, attempted to stop Martin Kpebu in his tracks, and that resulted in a heated exchange that had to be quelled by a forced commercial break.

Below is the exchange

Kpebu: The president is not committed to the fight against corruption because he is making money through Data Bank

Iddris: Who is making money through Data Bank

Kpebu: Ken Ofori-Atta and the president

Iddris: This your propagandist statement you always make

Kpebu: Data Bank is largely owned by Ken Ofori-Atta, and he and the president are brothers, so where does that that come from?

Iddris: I will never place premium on your statements because they are baseless

Kpebu: When Ofori-Atta came to Parliament, he didn’t tell you the hundreds of millions he makes

Iddris: Why are you bringing the president in there?

Kpebu: That’s his brother. Where is the money going? Is it, not their family?

Iddris: Brother?

Kpebu: That’s his brother. In Twi, there is no word for a cousin so it's his brother

Iddris: Are you speaking Twi? You cannot say that a brother is the same as a cousin. This is not Twi. Brother is not a Twi word.

KPE/OGB