The Members of Parliament for North Tongu and Mpraeso constituencies, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and Davies Ansah Opoku, respectively, clashed on the floor of the House over the Akosombo Dam spillage.
The cause of the heated verbal exchanges was whether the Minority MP, Okudzeto, had received relief items from the government for his constituents or not.
Whereas Okudzeto described as falsehood claims by the Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, that the Volta River Authority (VRA) had shared relief items and that the MPs had received the same, Davies Ansah Opoku insisted that he had.
This occurred on the floor of the House on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, during what should have been comments on the statement by the Minister for Energy on the Akosombo Dam spillage.
FALSEHOOD
Taking his turn to comment on the Minister’s statement, the North Tongu MP said the Minister for Energy had peddled some falsehoods.
He insisted that Parliament was a House of records and that two things the Minister said, which were that MPs were consulted before the spillage, and that MPs had received relief items from VRA, should be put to the test.
“Another falsehood is that VRA is sharing relief items, and that Members of Parliament have received their share. When? Which Member of Parliament has received shares of relief items? And such a dangerous statement for our constituents to come after us.
As I speak as Member of Parliament for North Tongu, the most affected constituency, no VRA official has given me relief items – not a grain of rice; not a bottle of oil. No Member of Parliament,” he stated.
The MP for Mpraeso, Davies Ansah Opoku, who spoke right after Okudzeto, indicated that the Minority MPs created the impression that the government was being “irresponsive.”
He mentioned that Okudzeto had on his Facebook wall a visit by the Minister for Finance and VRA officials to the North Tongu Constituency, “and he received items. He was the person leading the charge. And so to now make the claim that VRA has not done anything for me is a falsehood.”
He further mentioned that the Minister for Education had visited Okudzeto’s constituency, and the items he donated were from the government, so it was not factual to say the government had not done anything.
He also indicated that MPs from the Minority side on the VRA Resettlement Fund could attest to the fact that the organisation had released GH¢2.86 million into the Fund for relief purposes.
INTERRUPTION
Immediately after the Mpraeso MP mentioned that the Minister for Finance had visited North Tongu, and Okudzeto had received items from him, he stood to catch the Speaker’s eye for a rebuttal.
The Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, turned to him and said he had already made his point – that he had not received anything – and that should be enough.
He called on the Mpraeso MP to continue his comments, but Ablakwa would not let it slide. He put his microphone on without recourse to the Speaker and started to say that he had not received anything from the Finance Minister.
“Mr. Speaker, it is important. I have not received anything from the Finance Minister. I have not. The Minister for Finance visited my constituency, and I have not received anything from him. This is a house of records. I will not accept you lying on me. These are blatant lies,” he said angrily.
The Second Deputy Speaker then asked: “Hon. Okudzeto, are you respecting the Chair?” to which Okudzeto indicated he had a lot of respect for the Speaker.
The Mpraeso MP read the Facebook post, which said a delegation visited the constituency, but Okudzeto contended that it could not be misconstrued to mean he received relief items.
He insisted that he met the Minister after he had made the donation to the District Assembly, at which he was not present, adding that he had not personally received any items.
The Mpraeso MP asked from his seat whether it was about his person or the people of his constituency?
Okudzeto pointed at the Mpraeso MP and said: “You know what you are doing. You know you are being satanic. I have not received any items.”
The Mpraeso MP got offended and called on the Speaker to ask Okudzeto to withdraw, but Okudzeto also demanded that the portion where he was alleged to have received items should be expunged.
“Mr. Speaker, while I want to do that (withdraw), nobody should describe me as crazy. He cannot describe me as satanic. He is a devilish person if he wants to describe me as satanic. Mr. Speaker, until he withdraws that statement. I am an honorable member of this house, and I represent my people. My people are affected if I get the opportunity to speak and I express myself, and you describe me as satanic, then Mr. Speaker, he is an exponential satanic person in this House,” he ended.
Okudzeto stood and said: “Mr. Speaker, Satan is the King of lies,” and explained that the MP had earlier indicated that he had personally received items and then later said he gave them to constituents. “Does that mean a personal donation to me?”
He, however, withdrew the portion where he said no MPs on his side had received any items. This was after the majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, informed the House that, indeed, some MPs had received relief items.
The Second Deputy Speaker directed, “Records, please expunge that aspect from the records.”
DON’T PUSH ME
In his concluding remarks, the Minister for Energy revealed that he had records of the MPs that had received relief items and signed for them.
“Mr. Speaker, I have the records of people who have gone to VRA and collected things on behalf of their constituents. Nobody should push me to mention names. If you have not gone because of your own situation to represent your members, don’t say that the government has been partisan,” he said.
PLANNING
The Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, placed on record that there was no point mark for VRA to spill, but rather a point mark for the dam’s integrity.
Referring to a similar spillage in 2010, he stated that it would not be factual that what has happened would not happen again. He rather advocated pragmatic planning to deal with it.
According to him, the spillage saved the dam, and for the integrity of the facility, if it becomes necessary, VRA would have to spill again.
AD HOC COMMITTEE
Meanwhile, the House was unanimous that a special or ad hoc committee be set up to look into the spillage and its corresponding effect.
In calling for the committee, the deputy minority chief whip, Kwame Agbodza, indicated that it was necessary that the situation be looked into not as witch-hunting but for proper planning for the future.
The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, agreeing with his colleague, also indicated that the issues involved with the situation cut across transportation, communication, agriculture, health, education, and others, thus the need for a special committee to have these sectors represented.
Despite the agreement, the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Owusu, who had taken over, deferred to the leadership of both sides to discuss and formally submit a motion to the House.
