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| Asabee, Jerry Clash On BA Flight 081 |
10/31/2006 |
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There was drama in the air last Wednesday October 26, aboard British Airways flight BA 081 which was traveling from London Heathrow Airport to Accra’s Kotoka International Airport when Hon Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment clashed with former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Hon Asamoah-Boateng, popularly called Asabee, had boarded the same flight that afternoon in London as the former president. Spoiling for a fight as he was coming home to boom in response to Kufuor’s claims that he was seeking funds to topple his administration, J.J. was in no mood for niceties as he yelled at Asabee.
When Daily Guide contacted Minister Asamoah- Boateng, he confirmed what he described as an embarrassing encounter with the former president.
Asabee said he was making himself comfortable for the flight to take off when he saw Victor Smith, special assistant to Jerry and Victor Gbeho, former Minister of Foreign Affairs in the overhead compartments, stacking in their hand luggage.
“Victor called out and said hello to me and I responded and greeted Gbeho also. Victor Smith then told me eh wogyafo wo flight no do, literarily meaning your man is on the flight, in apparent reference to Rawlings. Daily Guide was informed that Asamoah-Boateng walked over to Rawlings and with hand stretched out, introduced himself in prelude to greeting JJ.
A furious Jerry shot back at Asabee, “go wey you, get away from me, go away.” Embarrassed and with his tails between his legs, Asabea hurriedly beat a fast retreat. The Minister, Daily Guide learnt, walked away quickly and took his greetings to Kofi Duah-Adonteng, MD of Ghana Post who was also on the flight.
Shamed by their boss’s pre-boom behaviour, one of his aides whispered into his ears that he had a case of mistaken identity on his hand.
Realising his folly, Rawlings hurriedly grabbed the minister’s hand and said, “Sorry about that. I mistook you for Kennedy Agyapong.” At this stage, Asabee had taken a position of positive defiance and declined to shake the outstretched hand of Rawlings.
Incidentally, Asabee and the former president shared the same seat divided by only a flimsy partition in the business class where all the drama was enacted.
The next day, Thursday October 27 at 11:30 am at his government house residence, at Ridge, he hammered major world leaders for protecting President Kufuor against a coup d’etat which he had expressed his wish for in speeches in Germany and London but denied in Ghana.
Source: daily guide
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