Following Kennedy Agyepong’s roundly condemned claims that Chairperson of the Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Charlotte Osei traded sex for her current position; many are quizzing whether former President Kufuor’s aide-de-camp, Major Gen Obed Boamah Akwa, also bribed his way to be appointed Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces?
The Assin Central Member of Parliament has been flayed by respected personalities and reputed institutions for insisting that highly placed officials in the John Mahama government ahead of Mrs. Osei appointment asked her to “bring your buttocks in exchange of EC Chair position.”
While many have questioned whether the controversial legislator subjected female employees of his numerous businesses to same treatments before offering them jobs, the appointment of former president Kufuor’s aide-de-camp as the new Army Chief by President Mahama has given the reprehensible attacks on the EC boss a new twist.
“Would Kennedy Agyepong be candid to tell us whether Kufuor’s ADC also bribed government officials for his appointment since to him, the only way a person can be appointed to any position in the Mahama government is either to yield to sexual pleasures or grease palms?” a texter to a radio program quizzed.
The 61-year old Maj Gen Obed Boamah Akwa, who was commissioned into the Infantry Corps of the Ghana Army in March 1977 as a Second Lieutenant, was this week appointed by President Mahama as Chief of Army Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Major General Obed Boamah Akwa was until his appointment the Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. He is credited to have completed all requisite professional courses up to the Staff College level, with a comparative Staff Course at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, India from 1996-1997 and has won numerous awards including the prestigious member of the Order of the Volta, Security Services Division in 2007.
Maj Gen Obed Boamah Akwa has had extensive experience in Peacekeeping Operations having served variously as a Deputy Commanding Officer with UNTAC (1993); a Military Observer with UNIKOM (1991-1992); Personnel Officer with UNIFIL (1985) and Platoon Commander with UNEF II (1977). He was a member of the UN Military Liaison Team deployed to prepare grounds for the insertion of UNPROFOR into the Former Yugoslavia in 1992.
He possesses academic qualifications in Global Security (MSc) from Cranfield University, England, 2003; Defence and Strategic Studies (MSc) from Madras University, India, 1977; and Public Administration (Certificate) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, Accra, Ghana, 1989. He also did his Senior Mission Leaders’ Course in Pretoria, South Africa from May – June 2011.
President Mahama has been applauded by many for exuding political maturity in appointing his predecessor’s ADC to head such sensitive position in the security service especially in an election year.
Proffering reasons why he settled on Maj General Akwa as the new Army Chief among the lot, President Mahama said “we recognized you as a smart and loyal officer and that is why you have won the confidence to be appointed to this position.”
Despite the commendation, Major General Obed Boamah Akwa’s appointment has generated heated discussions among sections of the Ghanaian populace who are wondering what would be the Assin Central MP’s verdict on the basis of which President Mahama appointed the UN MONUSCO award recipient.
This reasoning was in apparent reference to his claims that Mrs Charlotte Osei offered sex in exchange for her appointment by president Mahama to head the country’s election management body.
Several personalities and organizations including the Ghana Bar Association, Ark Foundation, the Media Foundation for West Africa, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hanna Tetteh; Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Protection; Nana Oye Lithur, IMANI Ghana boss, Franklin Cudjoe, Private legal practitioners, Ace Ankomah and Samson Lardi Ayenini among others have condemned him. .
Hon Kennedy Agyapong’s misogynistic comment joins a tall list of the MP’s inflammatory language and lack of political correctness which he is infamous for; especially during media interviews. He has made treasonous comments in the past that have landed him in the grip of security officials only to be discharged on technical grounds.
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