Gabby thunders ‘stupid’, walks off liveTV, and returns to apologise

From: Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

The Executive Director of Danquah Institute, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Saturday morning walked off Newsfile, a live radio and TV programme on Joy FM and Multi TV, after labelling a co-panelist as ‘stupid.’

The shocking outburst by Gabby, a gentleman known to usually speak his mind passionately and wittingly, only added to the growing national concern that the nation may not see the end of politics of insults anytime soon.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Omane Boamah had described Dr. J.B. Danquah, a founding father of the New Patriotic Party antecedent, the UP and after whom the Institute Gabby heads is named, as a CIA Agent. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko got incensed and thus offered the ‘rebuttal’.

He subsequently walked off the live programme when programme host, Samson Ladi Ayenini insisted that he recanted his ‘insulting’ word and apologise to viewers, listeners and especially Omane Boamah.

Gabby insisted he was not going to do so, and when told the rule was that anyone who insulted another and refuses to apologise was to be taken off the programme.

Gabby chose the second option and walked out of the live programme.

“Is he (Dr Boamah) stupid… you consider a founder of Ghana as a CIA agent, what stupidity is this?…it is pure stupidity.”

“When you want us to have an intellectual programme like this, you don’t bring people like this… I am not going to apologise, I can apologise to the audience but not him… he insults J.B. Danquah and you want me to apologise to him?… Why are you pushing me, I am not going to do that, why should I do that?… If that is what you want I will walk out on your programme, I won’t do it.”

“The rule we are dealing with here is that you apologise for insulting comment or you walk off the set,” the host maintained, but the uncompromising Gabby responded, “I will walk off the set”.

However, having cooled off for several minutes, while the programme continued without him, Mr Otchere-Darko returned to the programme, rather sober, and apologised to listeners and viewers but not to Dr Omane Boamah.

He however insisted, categorically, that Dr J.B. Danquah was not a CIA agent, noting that he has read a book authored by one Richard Mahonehy – a son of a former US Ambassador to Ghana (1962-65)-, which was also used as a reference point by Dr Boamah, and has also “taken my time” to go through the so-called CIA declassified documents, the allegation was not found in any document.

Other panel members were Kweku Baako Jnr., Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide; and Felix Kwakye-Fosu, an NDC activist.