Fury in Parliament: Kyebi Youth Slam Deputy Minister’s “Drinking with Pigs” Claim as Insult to Okyeman
Chaos erupted in Parliament on Friday after Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana (NDC – Bole Bamboi), claimed that residents of Kyebi once “drank water with pigs” before interventions under former President John Mahama.
The inflammatory remark, made during a debate on the devastating impact of galamsey on water bodies, was immediately branded as offensive, baseless, and disrespectful to the people of Akyem Abuakwa and the Okyenhene.
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh (NPP – Nsawam-Adoagyiri) jumped to his feet, demanding evidence or an immediate withdrawal and apology.
“If he wants to stand by it, let him provide evidence. Otherwise, the comment must be withdrawn and expunged,” Annoh-Dompreh thundered.
First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor subsequently ordered the statement struck from the official Hansard.
Kyebi youth hit back hard
In a fiery response issued hours later, Kyebi youth groups and opinion leaders rejected the claim as “malicious, false, and a deliberate distortion of history.”
They stated:
Kyebi has had a functional water treatment plant since 1971.
The Mahama administration only expanded an existing facility in 2014 — it did not construct a new one.
At no point did residents drink from sources shared with pigs.
The youth provided a detailed timeline of water projects in the area:
2008: President Kufuor initiated the Koforidua Water Supply Expansion.
2011: President Mills further expanded the project.
No water project for Kyebi was ever presented to Parliament by President Mahama.
They accused the Deputy Minister of insulting the Okyenhene, the people of Akyem Abuakwa, and former President Akufo-Addo, who hails from Kyebi.
In a pointed counter-attack, the youth noted that Hon. Yusif Sulemana’s own Bole Bamboi constituency ranks among the most deprived in Ghana according to the Ghana Statistical Service.
They warned that such reckless statements deepen tribal and political division and lower the standard of public discourse.
No apology has been issued by the Deputy Minister at the time of publication.
