Defence Committee goes beyond one person – Aning on calls for Ken Agyapong to be dropped

Professor Kwesi Aning of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC) has said the work of Committees of Parliament goes beyond an individual.

He said this in response to calls for Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agypong to be removed as Chair of the Defence and Interior Committee following his verbal attacks on journalists in Ghana, whiles speaking on Good Evening Ghana Thursday July 22.

Scores of Ghanaians are signing a petition for the removal of Mr. Agyapong.

He has been referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament for his utterances against a journalist with the Multimedia Group, Erastus Asare Donkor.Mr Agyapong on Friday, July 9, is reported to have allegedly threatened to attack Mr Asare Donkor, “for the journalistic work that the latter undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura” on his television station.

The Multimedia Group filed a formal complaint against Mr Agyapong.

On Wednesday July 14, Member of Parliament for Tamale North Alhassan Suhuyini raised the issue on the floor of the house and asked the Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee.

He said “Mr Speaker, I think that as a former journalist I feel obliged to draw the House’s attention to this conduct of an Honorable colleague of this house which in my view, brings this house into disrepute.

“Mr Speaker, I urge you to exercise your powers under 27 and refer this conduct of the Honorable which is becoming unacceptable, to the Privileges Committee to ascertain the veracity of the comments that were made and recommend sanctions if possible that will act as deterrent to other members who may be tempted to act like him.”

Professor Aning said “The Committee goes beyond an individual but the Committee’s functions primarily as an oversight committee must ensure that it becomes a critical partner both to the Police administration and to the Police Council.

“The Police Council and the Police administration have both failed the Ghana Police Service and also the people of Ghana.

“Because their functions and their roles have been limited, for the Police council to being a promotion and a dismissal Council and for the Defence and Interior Committee of being a committee that hardly demands any accountability from the Police service, does not challenge the Police service, does not request for document.”