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The Minority Caucus in Parliament has demanded decisive action from leadership of the House against the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Victoria Emeafa Hardcastle, for allegedly calling Minority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, ‘silly’.
The caucus has strongly condemned the incident, urging swift action to deter other public officials from making similar remarks that undermine the authority of Members of Parliament.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, 28th January, during a brief recess ahead of the vetting of Defence Minister-designate, Dr Edward Omane Boamah. A video capturing the altercation purportedly shows Ms Hardcastle allegedly calling the lawmaker ‘silly’ during a brief exchange of words.
Subsequently, the matter was raised by the Minority Chief Whip on the floor of Parliament, prompting both Minority and Majority MPs to unite in demanding an apology. However, NDC MPs urged him not to escalate the situation.
As a result, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has summoned the Acting CEO of the Petroleum Commission to appear before the House.
Meanwhile, in a press statement dated 29th January, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin called for strong parliamentary action:
Ms Hardcastle's attempt to direct the Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, in the execution of his parliamentary duties, coupled with her unconscionable description of a senior Member of Parliament as 'silly', constitutes an egregious assault on parliamentary authority that cannot go unchallenged. Such conduct strikes at the very foundation of our democracy and must be met with the full force of parliamentary sanctions.
The statement further noted:
The Rt Hon Speaker's decision to personally hear representations from both parties on Thursday, 30th January 2025, given the current absence of a constituted Committee on Privileges and Immunities, underscores the gravity of this matter. We anticipate that Friday's report or ruling by the Speaker will send an unmistakable message of deterrence to all public officials and indeed any person who might contemplate similar contemptuous conduct in the future.
The Minority leadership is calling for sanctions against Emeafa Hardcastle under the standing orders of Parliament, including a fine, imprisonment, restriction from parliamentary precincts, and a mandatory public apology. They insist that any penalty imposed should reflect the severity of the offence.