News:
July 1, 2011
The Chief Executive Officer of Kencity Media and NPP MP for Assin North, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has told Citi News that he has never seen or tasted the white crystalline alkaloid extracted from coca leaves, known as cocaine.
Hon. Agyapong made the disclosure in an interview on Citi FM on Thursday June 30. His comments come in the wake of threats by the Narcotics Control Board to nail politicians involved in the use of drug money for political campaigns.
The MP, who has dared the NACOB Boss to name the so-called drug peddling politicians so he could he be exonerated.
In in a previous interview with Citi FM he alleged that there were plots within the NDC Government to frame him up with drugs.
However, in a forceful and forthright declaration, the man who for many years has been tagged by his political opponents as a drug dealer without proof, said he has not seen, used, or traded in cocaine, although he has travelled and worked in Europe for many years.
Being a member of the NPP, a party that has been accused by its main political opponents of harbouring and or encouraging the drug trade, Hon. Ken Agyapong has struggled to change perceptions about himself, especially as a former NPP MP, Eric Amoateng, is serving a jail term in the USA after he was busted for dealing in cocaine.
Mr. Agyapong’s critics have wondered how he amasses so much wealth to live a high profile life, make several donations to needy institutions and sets up new businesses.
The man, who in 2010 bought himself a Rolls-Royce saloon car worth 250,000 pounds sterling to celebrate his successes on his 50th birthday, said his riches were acquired by dint of hard work. He told Citi News that he has a target to acquire two private jets at age 55.
“I needed to glorify myself for all the hard work that’s why I bought that car. I was born and bred in Assin-Dompim where I went to primary school, and went to L.A Middle School before I went to Adisadel College and then went to Germany to wash plates and later became a cook. Just recently, I went to Germany and I still have my roommate in Germany and he is a taxi driver now. I have invited him to come home. I want to give him a job because he was nice to me when I was there”.
“I have about 11 to 12 companies with three of them in America. And I have the ability to save. That’s a gift. You cannot invest when you don’t have capital and you can have capital when you have the ability to save. Even when I was in Secondary School, I was selling P.K., chocolate, blades and all that, and I was able to buy a ticket for my cousin to go to Germany. In fact, I graduated selling roofing sheets, lead bars, cutlasses and wires. I am a partner of Supercare and we brought Bui Dam here. I and my partner singlehandedly got the deal to bring Syno Hydro to Ghana. I don’t even have one dollar out of it (the Bui deal) but you see how Asiedu Nketia is enjoying from that $640 million contract.
He did not even attend a single meeting in China and now he is enjoying. But I am not envious of anybody. Nobody gives good people credit in this country” he lamented.
“I have a company in my constituency producing pineapple and orange for export to Spain, France and Brazil. I have about six companies under the Supercare Group alone; I have Kencity Media which includes not only media houses but Real Estate, Cold stores and different businesses. If I am paying 2,657 workers today, what makes you think I can’t buy Rolls Royce for myself? As I speak, the Government owes me and my wife a lot of money” he noted.
Viewed by some as a rabble-rouser for his no-nonsense attitude, Mr. Agyapong rather sees himself as a disciplinarian, and a different breed of politician who speaks his mind, and works hard to make genuine money to help society.
“It’s only a bunch of idiots and failures who always think that anybody who seems to be doing well in this country is a drug dealer. I can tell you with authority that I don’t think any drug dealer in this country has the wealth that I have” he declared.
According to him, he has not seen, tasted or traded cocaine before, and could not tell how cocaine looks like. He also denied knowledge about dealings in heroin and Indian hemp.
“I don’t even smoke. I have not used the services of any courier. I have lived in America for 27 years and I still live there. I have these two ladies who just came from America. So does it mean that because they live in an advance country they have seen cocaine before?” he asked.
The business-oriented politician bemoaned the deeply rooted “Ghanaian perception” that one cannot genuinely succeed without doing anything criminal or foul.
“It’s a bad perception and we need to change it. My advice to the youth is that, the sky is the limit. Take your destiny into your hands. Dream big, talk big and do things big. Don’t just think within the box, think outside the box”.
Mr. Agyapong lambasted NDC Government officials, some of who he accused of engaging in drug peddling although he was not ready to disclose their names.
He cited an instance in which he claims his wife’s sister was handed a bag stuffed with cocaine by an influential NDC woman at Heathrow Airport, leading to the lady’s arrest.
“Those who are talking about drugs in the NDC should check their track records before we release it. I dare them. (NACOB Executive Secretary) Akrasi Sarpong should also check his track record before we come after him. I know a lot about these people. In the NDC I regime, drugs were moved from Suriname with presidential jets to Holland to go and sell”.