Frances Assiam Apologises

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Adenta, Madam Frances Assiam, has rendered an unqualified apology to the management of Metropolitan Television (Metro TV) for her part in the near-brawl that occurred on set between herself and Madam Anita De-Souza, National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Viewers of the station’s flagship programme, ‘Good Morning Ghana’ on Tuesday, were treated to a rare show of verbal brawl when the two political ‘heavyweights’ threw caution to the wind and engaged each other in a war of words.

The verbal altercation, which nearly ended in fisticuffs between the two studio guests, was so intense that the programme had to be truncated.

While the heated exchange was on-going, the two ladies wagged their fingers in the faces of each other and simply refused to be moderated by the host, Randy Abbey, who continuously restrained them.

Speaking in an interview on Citi Eye Witness News with Shamima Muslim, an apologetic Frances Assiam regretted the incident explaining it was not her intention to disrupt the programme.

Recounting what happened, she accused the NDC Women’s Organiser of running her down on the programme during her submission and her repeated protests to her (Anita) to stop personalizing the discussion by leaving her name out and sticking to the issues were ignored.

“But you see, it was as if she was sent on the programme just to misbehave because the allegations she made against me were uncalled for. I have been a member of the NPP since 2008 and have absolutely nothing to do with her NDC,” said Frances, a former member of the NDC. “Such programmes are supposed to be educational and require intelligent contributions but not personalization of issues and constant attacks,” Frances added.

According to the NPP Parliamentary aspirant, what really got her riled was the allegation that she (Frances) also benefitted from the infamous GHC 51 judgment debt paid to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome, thus leading to the verbal altercation. She used the opportunity offered her to apologise to the television station.

“I don’t sit with people to do pure propaganda and so I questioned why Anita was there…She started attacking my personality and calling me a traitor, betrayer and accusing me of taking money from Woyome. And I told her to substantiate or she will not leave the studio....You can’t just make such accusations and go scot free; 'He who alleges must prove'...All I want the public to know is that all that she said is untrue…I don’t need anything from Woyome and I dare his spokesperson to come out (and either confirm or deny this)…I am asking Alfred Woyome to come out..” she said.