Julius Debrah’s Kalyppo comment ‘irresponsible’ – NPP group

A pro-NPP group Truth Forum has condemned as “reckless” and “irresponsible” Chief of Staff Julius Debrah’s comment that Kalyppo fruit juice was unhealthy for adults due to its high sugar content and could possibly cause a disease he christened ‘Kalyppolitis’.

Mr Debrah’s comment was a subtle swipe at the #Kalyselfie social media blitz that started after some members of the NDC posted a picture of opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo sipping a pack of the fruit juice in an attempt to mock him.

Speaking to supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr Debrah said the drink’s sugar content was detrimental to the health of adults.

“The adults here, I am pleading with you to avoid taking Kalyppo because the sugar content is harmful to your health,” he told the supporters in the Twi language.

However, a statement signed by Mr Anthony Abayifaa Karbo said Mr Debrah’s comment amounts to an attempt to kill the efforts of the manufacturers of the drink. “It is rather unfortunate that after eight years of making a complete mess of the Ghanaian economy, the John Mahama-led NDC government has decided to not only negatively tag our local industry, but take us back to the dark days in our history,” he noted.

The group is, therefore, demanding an apology to Ghanaians as well as the manufacturers of the drink.

Below is the full statement:

NDC ATTACKS LOCAL INDUSTRY

The Truth Forum condemns the reckless and irresponsible pronouncements made by the Chief of Staff, Mr Julius Debrah, urging Ghanaians to stay away from Kalyppo, a locally-made fruit juice.

It is rather unfortunate that after eight years of making a complete mess of the Ghanaian economy, the John Mahama-led NDC government has decided to not only negatively tag our local industry, but take us back to the dark days in our history.

It will be recalled that a few weeks ago, the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, was spotted in a photograph drinking Kalyppo fruit juice. The photograph went viral on social media, with Ghanaians from all walks of life identifying with him by posting selfies mimicking him drinking the locally-made juice. It is obvious that sales of Kalyppo have increased tremendously in recent times.

Speaking to supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Brong Ahafo regional town of Wenchi, Mr Debrah said “adults who take very sweet fruit juices will go down with a sickness called “Kalyppolitis”. The Chief of Staff has suddenly acquired medical qualification to determine what our population should or should not consume.

After presiding over several years of unending power crisis, high taxes, petroleum price hikes, high utility tariffs, mismanagement of the economy, an unstable currency, which has resulted in collapse of many businesses and rendering hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians jobless, it is regrettable that such comments would come from the Chief of Staff. Instead of outlining what has been done to curtail the energy crisis in the long term, as well as measures put in place to make the business environment conducive for business to thrive, this is how low government has decided to sink.

This brings back memories of terror on private entrepreneurship, and as a people we must condemn such utterances in our political discourse.

We are, therefore, calling on Mr. Julius Debrah to apologise for the irresponsible statement to the manufacturers of Kalyppo and the general public.

Signed………….

Anthony Abayifaa Karbo

Member Truth Forum

20th October 2016