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"Don't call me incompetent, it is disrespectful" - Agric Minister

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto has said that it is disrespectful to use the word ‘incompetence’ on him.

In a widely circulated audio on social media, the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso is heard criticising a journalist for asking him if he was incompetent as purported by former MP for the Kwadaso Constituency, Madam Hilda Addo.

The voice in the audio which many have ascribed to be that of the 59-year-old farmer interjected the journalist in his quest to get the Minister’s response to the accusations being hailed on him.

“That’s very disrespectful… the word incompetence and I don’t want you to use that word on me. If she’s crazy to use those words I don’t want you to repeat it on me, you know that is very offensive” the minister advised.

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According to Hilda Addo, members of the constituency had contacted her to lament over the Minister’s inefficiency as their Member of Parliament.

“I don’t want you to talk to me in these times… Do you know who I am, do you know what I have created in this life of mine for a journalist like you to tell me that I am incompetent. If you’re repeating somebody’s words it’s your words as well. You shouldn’t be that insubordinate” he said.

A very peeved Dr Afriyie Akoto continues to rebuke the journalist in the audio by adding that “I don’t know how old you are but my son will be older than you, you understand, even the owner of your station does not come anywhere near my standard in terms of life achievement so you have to learn to be respectful, don’t use those words on me”

A son of the late Bafuor Osei Akoto, the Chief Linguist to the Asantehene and founder of the National Liberation Movement during the 1950’s, Dr Afriyie Akoto first contested the Kwadaso seat in 2000 when it was still part of the Bantama constituency but lost his party’s parliamentary primaries.

In 2004, after Bantama constituency (Florida) was divided into three – Nhyiaeso, Kwadaso and Bantama he attempted to enter into parliament via the Kwadaso Constituency but lost to Hilda Josephine Addo. He, however, won on his third attempt in 2008 beating his fiercest rival Hilda Addo and again in 2012 as well as 2016.

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Coincidentally,  the term’ incompetence’ was used to describe the erstwhile Mahama-led administration during the 2016 campaign by the ruling New Patriotic Party in which the Agriculture Minister belongs. He is however yet to accept if the voice on the audio is his or not.

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