Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has addressed the incident involving his heated verbal altercation with the Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, during the Assurance Committee hearing in parliament.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on Friday, August 30, 2024, Ablakwa explained that his anger stemmed from Oppong Nkrumah’s evasion of responsibility, failure to address the delays by contractors, and attempts to accuse him of misinforming the public about the spillage – an issue unrelated to the matter at hand.
“When the honorable minister appeared before us, his whole attitude, go and watch the video. Evading, refusing to take responsibility. We even asked ‘we sent our invitation letter more than two weeks before you appeared, tell us why you have missed the deadline?’ He says, ‘he wants to go and visit for 14 days because he doesn’t really trust the report they have brought’.
“14 days? People are living inside destitution for a year. We as private individuals, we are not government - MPs, donors were able to build accommodation for these people, permanent houses in 7 weeks at the peak of the disaster for 600 people and a whole government with all our resources with parliament approving GH¢280million for you in the 2024 budget, you cannot as at now, at least show some good faith by putting up some accommodation for the people,” he quizzed.
He continued saying “…to my shock, he introduces a matter not related to the subject matter before us that during the peak of the spillage, indicating that I misinformed the country that soldiers had been asked to leave. I was really shocked. I don’t know how that is related to the matter before us that I had said that soldiers have been asked to leave meanwhile the soldiers were only moving to another location. And I said please your facts are wrong.”
When asked by the host Randy Abbey if that was what got him enraged, Ablakwa responded saying “really yes. Yes, that is what really got me angry, that really got me totally outraged,” he said.
Ablakwa further described the attempts to brand him as a bully, and dictator, and to accuse him of abusing his position as the chairman of the committee, as unfair.
“I have seen all the headlines; publications and I’m being portrayed as somebody abusing my office as chairman of the Assurances Committee.
“…it is important to stress that a lot of the publications out there attempt to portray me as somebody I am not. People can go back and watch, fortunately it’s a public hearing so parliamentary social media handles have the footage available and people can go and access my work.
“…People know who we are and the attempt to suddenly portray me as some bully, autocrat, dictator, somebody who is not well mannered is really off the mark, totally without basis and most unfair,” he said.
The lawmaker, however, criticized the government’s failure to meet deadlines and fulfill promises to the victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage since 2023, asserting that it constitutes a violation of their human rights.
Background
The Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; and the Chairman of the Governance and Assurance Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, engaged in a verbal exchange over the withdrawal of military personnel from North Tongu during the Akosombo Dam spillage disaster.
The intense argument led committee members to intervene, prompting a suspension of the meeting to calm tensions.
The tensions began when Ablakwa, who is also the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, questioned the minister’s decision to withdraw military personnel at the peak of the disaster, sparking a defensive response from Oppong Nkrumah, a video from Metro TV has showed.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah then accused Okudzeto Ablakwa of using his role as Chairman of the Governance and Assurance Committee to become a "bully pulpit."
Following this, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa fumed, demanding a retraction and an apology from the minister.
Watch interview from 1:07:10 - 1:25:00
MAG/MA
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