Seth Kwame Dzokoto,
Comedian Seth Kwame Dzokoto, popularly known as 'Edziban', has accused political science lecturer Dr Richard Amoako Baah of being tainted politically, and said the academic must portray himself as a serious person.
The recently-elected parliamentary candidate for the Tarkwa-Nsuaem constituency told Ekow Mensah-Shalders, host of Class91.3fm’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday, November 30, 2015 that a recent comment by the former head of the political science department at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), that he (Dzokoto) was not elected on merit but on popularity, betrayed his political coloration.
Mr Dzokoto, popularly known as ‘Edziban’ said Dr Amoako Baah should have spoken “on scientific basis” as a lecturer.
“Dr [Amoako Baah] should know that when you give somebody work [to do], it goes with responsibility. So, on no grounds have I ever misused my responsibility…I think that he was doing politics. Dr [Amoako Baah] should start speaking so that we see him as a serious person because at times, he speaks with political colours, and he should jump above that,” Mr Dzokoto added.
Mr Dzokoto, known for his local cuisine TV show ‘Edziban,’ was elected in the governing National Democratic Congress’ primaries on Saturday November 21. The actor polled 1,450 to beat his contender Thomas Okyere, who managed 398 votes.
In a November 23 post-primary interview with Ekow Mensah-Shalders, Dr Amoako Baah said Mr Dzokoto won based on his popularity as an actor and showbiz icon, rather than on merit and substance and warned him not to go and joke in parliament,
“Some of the winners are just a bit worrying you know,” he told Mensah-Shalders on the maiden edition of the show, adding: “When you have someone like Dzokoto, I mean what did he campaign on, ‘edziban’ or something? I don’t understand it.”
“It becomes almost like a popularity contest because the candidates don’t actually debate each other for the voters to actually see what they are leaned towards….which is not good, and, so, in the end it becomes a popularity contest and Dzokoto is well-known, edziban, and I’m sure it has a lot to do with why he won,” Dr Amoako Baah surmised.
He feared Mr Dzokoto will become the butt of jokes in parliament because he is a comedian.
“…I mean look, once you are a comedian, always a comedian. And you go to Parliament and people will see you from that perspective. You start saying something…important and they start laughing [at you] and it’s not a laughing matter in Parliament.
“…I’m not saying ‘edziban’ will not do well,” he pointed out, but added: “…I want him to educate himself and go and do the work he has submitted himself to do, not to go over there and engage in jokes or something.”
Mr Dzokoto, a journalist and manager of Pluzz FM, however said: “…I am saying that he is a scientist and that is [how] we should see him…he can’t speak like that because he is a scientist.”
