The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has hinted at his decision to summon the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Emeafa Hardcastle, for a probe on Thursday, January 30, 2025.
The summons by the Speaker is in connection with an altercation with Frank Annoh-Dompreh, the Nsawam Adoagyiri MP.
A viral video of the Minority Chip Whip and the Acting CEO has generated discussions among Ghanaians on social media.
In the video, the two engaged in a verbal exchange during a short break at the Appointments Committee’s vetting on Tuesday, January 28.
Annoh-Dompreh, on the floor of parliament after the incident, announced that he will formally have the CEO dragged before the Privileges Committee after it is formed over allegations that Hardcastle had disrespected him.
At the vetting, Frank Annoh-Dompreh was walking out of the room when the committee took. A brief break and Hardcastle allegedly made remarks saying, “You are threatening me that you are taking me on because who are you? What do you mean by taking me on? You are a micro-minority. Doesn’t Afenyo-Markin himself use that phrase? I don’t have time for that. You think you can bully me here?”
The MP informed the House that the CEO had offered a lame apology.
“What has happened to me today can happen to any of you. A lady I have never met in my life, the acting CEO for the petroleum commission. I didn’t provoke her in any way; suddenly insults were being thrown at me: silly, stupid, useless. Speaker: I felt abused, and there and then I felt, how can a man be killed in his own backyard? I reached out to the chair of the committee and reported the same matter; members who were with me can corroborate with me.
“I want to put this on record that even though she passed by to render a certain lame apology, it is still unacceptable. Speaker, I had to resort to this approach,” Annor-Dompreh said.
The Speaker in his response said I’ll proceed to advise the lady concerned and personally go into the matter take the appropriate actions and report back to the house. I will take action on the matter myself and report to the house.”
He added: “With our Parliament there’s no democracy. With our respect of our Parliament and parliamentarians there’s no democracy. We are the protectors of the rights and dignities of our people. If we ourselves are endangered species then we have a problem.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
