There is a black sheep or trouble maker in every home, so goes an Akan adage; and though Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper agrees with the proverb, what he finds worrying is when the trouble maker is the head of the house.
According to him, it is exceedingly disturbing when people in places of higher authority, who ought to be the role models of society, put up such unacceptable behaviours.
“…it is true that there is a trouble maker in every town or house, but when the trouble maker is the linguist or the chief, then we have a problem on our hands. That is the problem because, in this case that is an exception, they are in leadership (positions).
“Key leadership positions and that is where the problem is. We could have pardoned any ordinary member of the party who misconducts himself because the leadership would whip them in line but in this case, it is our leaders... Members of Parliament, leaders of parties, Ministers and so on, who are exhibiting bad behavior”.
The Managing editor of the Insight Newspaper made these comments in response to assertions by a leading member of the NPP and former MP for Asokwa Constituency, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, that though politicians exaggerate a lot on the campaign platform, it should be considered as part and parcel of their profession. He also stated that sometimes politicians embellish their claims and that is also to be expected because there is a ‘black sheep in every house’.
These submissions were made during discussions on Adom FM on the near-incarceration of Lawyer Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, when he appeared before the apex court of Ghana on Wednesday, 14th August, 2013, for making comments the court deemed contemptuous.
Though the nine-member panel at the Supreme Court appeared very furious with him, Sir John managed to escape a custodial sentence, but was slapped with a Ghc5000 fine and bonded to be of good behavior for the next six months.
Nonetheless, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., maintained that leading figures have a duty to refrain from making inflammatory statements likely to disturb the stability of the country.
