The Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has revealed why he still went ahead to raise the matter of the verbal assault on him by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Emeafa Hardcastle, on the floor of Parliament after she had walked up to him and apologized.
According to the Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyire, Hardcastle reportedly made further disparaging comments against him as she walked away after saying sorry.
“When I was leaving, two people came to me and said that when the lady was exiting the room, she made another damning comment—that if she had insulted me, so be it. This was told to me by an elderly person I have no reason to doubt. They had no basis to lie. The person told me that when the woman said that, he confronted her and asked if she was not the same person who had just apologized. Then, she showed another fleeting remorse.
“The person also told me that if the matter is heard by the Speaker, he is ready to testify that the lady indeed uttered those words. So, when I left the place, I told myself that I had to raise the matter in the plenary because, as a lawyer, she ought to behave well—lawyers have a code of ethics.”
Frank Annoh Dompreh further disclosed that all the women on the Appointments Committee walked up to him to apologize on Hardcastle’s behalf, denouncing her conduct.
“All the ladies on the vetting committee came and knelt before me, saying they had all seen what had transpired. I was angry, but at that moment, I was just praying. I asked myself, with everything I had gone through during this election—moving here and there, ending up at the Supreme Court, being falsely accused of firing a gun, and enduring all sorts of propaganda allegations—what was really happening in my life? I was just consoling myself and decided to leave everything to God.
“Then suddenly, the lady herself came to me. She spoke Ewe, and I responded to her in Ewe. She was alarmed by that. I told her I grew up in the Volta Region, and Ewes don’t behave the way she did. She asked that we have lunch together, but I told her I was okay. I decided to let sleeping dogs lie. It was only when she was leaving that she made further derogatory remarks against me,” Annoh Dompreh said.
Last week, Frank Annoh-Dompreh urged the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, to issue consequential orders summoning the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Emeafa Hardcastle, before the Privileges Committee of Parliament once it is constituted.
This followed a heated exchange between Annoh-Dompreh and Hardcastle on Tuesday, January 28, during a break in the vetting proceedings of the Parliamentary Appointments Committee.
Tensions flared after Mrs. Hardcastle referred to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) caucus as a “micro-minority,” a term that allegedly offended Mr. Annoh-Dompreh.
In response, the Minority Chief Whip allegedly threatened to take Hardcastle on, a statement she did not take lightly.
“You are threatening me that you will take me on because you are who? My friend, don’t bring yourself. What do you mean you are taking me on?” she fumed.
Annoh-Dompreh, however, emphasized the offensive nature of the words used by the acting CEO to describe his caucus.
“You called us a micro-minority?” the MP questioned.
“But you are a micro-minority. Doesn’t Afenyo (Minority Leader) himself use that phrase?” Hardcastle retorted.
“You think you can bully me here?” she added.
Amidst the melee created by their encounter, the MP accused the acting CEO of referring to him as “silly.”
“Please, please, please. You cannot call me silly… We will deal with this matter,” he stated.
Addressing the issue on the floor of Parliament, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP expressed dissatisfaction with Hardcastle’s conduct, describing her remarks as disrespectful and unbefitting of her position.
He urged the Speaker of Parliament to intervene and ensure the issue is fully resolved.
“I am told she is a lawyer, and I was surprised by the attitude she displayed. Mr. Speaker, I am respectfully bringing this to your attention and further inviting you to take action. I am fully aware that we have not yet constituted our committees. However, pending the formation of the Privileges Committee, I am pleading with you, Mr. Speaker. I know you are passionate about Parliament and the respect we must command in society as an arm of government. I humbly urge you to make consequential orders to ensure that this matter is addressed appropriately.”
Haruna Iddrisu, the MP for Tamale South, also commented on the issue before Parliament.
He expressed his displeasure with Hardcastle’s remarks, stating that they undermined Annoh-Dompreh’s standing as an elected MP.
The former Minority Leader urged Hardcastle to issue a public apology and advised the Minority Chief Whip to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from escalating.
“The justified request made by the Minority Whip regarding this conduct suggests damage to his reputation as an elected Member of Parliament. Mr. Speaker, as I listened to him, I share the sentiments expressed by the Honorable MP for Damongo that this House must stand united in condemning such conduct and demanding an apology. However, I also urge our colleague to reconsider pursuing the matter further before the Privileges Committee, allowing for an amicable resolution,” he stated.
“All the ladies on the vetting committee came to kneel before me to apologize on behalf of Emeafa, she also later joined to apologize” — Hon. @FAnnohDompreh. pic.twitter.com/WeFJHgwVB8
— Gen. Buhari (@Gen_Buhari_) February 5, 2025
KA
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