General News of Monday, 12 November 2001

Source: Chronicle

Top NDC MP Sees Red in House....

Pours Insults Over Inquiries Over Abandoning Child He Fathered

Mr. Abraham Kofi Asante, Member of Parliament for Wassa Amenfi West and Minority Spokesman on Energy, on Thursday, November 8, went wild and poured insults on the Chronicle reporter, who had approached him in Parliament over certain allegations.

He threatened to drag the paper to court should he see any publication about him in it.

The hostilities started shortly after the reporter traced and found Asante at the MPs' resting lobby at the august House to get his comments on an allegation that he had abandoned a three-year old boy he fathered in his constituency.

Shortly after the reporter had made his mission known to the MP and introduced the topic, Asante yelled, "You can go and publish that I am an armed robber, I care less, go and publish that your stupid story, make it a banner headline.'

This was in the presence of Hon. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, MP for Fanteakwa, and two other MPs he had invited to listen to the interview.

"Go and write that your stupid story and let them discuss it throughout the twelve calendar months of the year, it would not have any effect on me; it is a stupid story that you want to present. I am saying it would have absolutely no effect on me," he shouted.

"You can never be like me. You can never be like me and I can also not be like you," the irate MP said, adding that the Chronicle first called him and claimed that he does not visit his constituency.

The whole thing started when Chronicle came face to face with Asante at the MPs' resting lobby at the august house last week Thursday, after several unsuccessful attempts to book an appointment with him the previous day.

The reporter introduced himself and his mission to the MP, who then invited Mr Ofosu Ampofo and two other MPs to be part of the interview.

'These people should be part of the discussions,' he said. But suddenly, Asante got up from his chair and started shouting on top of his voice as he walked away to the surprise of even his colleagues.

This reporter had gone to Parliament to cross check and verify several allegations some of which have taken CHRONICLE to Asankragwa.

Of the issues under investigations one of the higher points dealt with clear case of abandonment of parental responsibility.

Hon. Asante had been under pressure to maintain a child he had fathered in his constituency but Family members are said to be split on how to deal with the problem of the Honourable member who had not been honouring his obligations because of the resistance from the lady since her relationship was not known.until the the arrival of the baby, a spitting image of the MP

It is also alleged that the MP had concealed his relationship from his wedded wife.

Chronicle learnt after days of under-cover investigations in the town in early September that Asante's lady who sells clothing materials clashed with another girl one Tuesday, a market day and attracted attention.

Asante emerged on the scene and rather took sides with the other girl in the market even though she was the one who was carrying his baby.

That created a strain in the relationship and embarrassed her greatly.

That explains her reluctance to come into the open, especially when the father was not even sure of who had impregnated their daughter until the 2000 elections.

When the MP was confronted with the issue of the pregnancy, fathering and abandonment for his comments, he flared up:

"Who told you that?!"

Then he got up from his seat, started walking further away from the lobby while muttering insults, beckoned to a couple of MPs who were standing in the lobby exclaiming:

"Honourable, I want you to be present at this meeting".

Then all hell broke loose and the insults started flowing in the presence of the three bewildered NDC MPs whose countenance showed that they did not even understand the reason for the commotion.

The MP had the impression that this reporter was going to interview him over his constituency's protests that he rarely visited them.