Deputy Information Minister, Murtala Mohammed has expressed dismay at Dr. Arthur Kennedy's call for him [Murtala] to be punched in the face for suggesting that Dr. J.B. Danquah died of a natural cause.

According to him, it is “shameful and disgusting” that someone aspiring to lead the nation will make such a statement.

Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), whose forebear is Dr. J.B. Danquah, expressed grave displeasure about the Deputy Information Minister’s claim of his [Danquah’s] cause of death.

In his opinion, the 69-year-old former presidential candidate of the United Party (UP) died at the Nsawam medium security prison due to harsh conditions that exacerbated his health.

Dr. Arthur Kennedy wondered why no member of the Minority did not “punch Murtala Mohammed in the nose” for making such baseless comments.

But in a riposte, Murtala Mohammed on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, said Dr. Kennedy should know that “we are not in a jungle”.

He noted that in the august House of Parliament, “you can make any statement with facts and substantiate it”.

The Deputy Information Minister indicated that the comment he made on the floor of Parliament to commemorate the 49th anniversary of Dr. J.B. Danquah was not out of malice.

He maintained his comment was based on findings of the Committee, which investigated the circumstances leading to the death of the legal luminary.

Murtala Mohammed could not fathom why Dr. Arthur Kennedy, whom he says has always advocated for sanity in our political discourse, could stoop so low.

“It is most unfortunate, I pray children wouldn’t be listening to this because it is disgraceful that you have someone, who was aspiring to lead the nation, would say that a Member of Parliament should be hit in the face”, he noted.

Mutala Mohammed bemoaned what he described as political intolerance in Ghana’s body politic, adding that he is ignoring the comment because he [Arthur Kennedy] was reacting from an ill-informed position.