Shots fired! Osafo Maafo tells Okudzeto "you were too young to read" in 2005

The Member of Parliamet for North Tongu in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was handed a "humble pie" by the Senior Minister designate, Yaw Osafo Maafo when he tried to question the nominee about certain scandals that had occurred during his tenure as finance minister in the Kufuor administration.

Mr. Ablakwa in taking his time to "grill" the in-coming statesman, sought to refer to the Daily Dispatch newspaper which had in 2005 reported a scandal pertaining to the CNTCI loan which never materialised and the Atlas production controversy which occurred when the nominee was Sports and Education minister.

In response to Mr. Ablakwa's question, the senior minister nominee said, "I think you were too young at that time to understand the issue."From the facial expression of Mr. Ablakwah was not impressed with that response which got the whole room bursting in laughter.

Yaw Osafo Maafo later apologised and retracted his "cheeky" statement after the Vetting Committee chairman, Joe Osei-Owusu registered his displeasure in the Senior Minister designate's response.
He went ahead to answer the question describing that situation as one that was a "frivolous propaganda" allegation to taint his image and that of the government at the time.

Mr. Osafo Maafo said on the CNTCI, the government needed money at the time for infrastructural projects and he received a proposal from CNTCI about the possibility of them providing the loan.He said when he received the proposal they had to conduct due diligence on the company to know if the company was credit worthy.He also stated that when the scandal broke a press conference was organised at the time to explain the issue after which he went to Parliament to announce their withdrawal for the loan hunt.