A lecturer at the School of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Ghana, Prof. Alex Dodoo, Tuesday, told the Privileges Committee that he meant no harm to Parliament over his outburst comments on the Ebola Vaccine trail.
He said he did not and would not in any way disrespect the House, noting that he holds the institution of Parliament in high esteem.
“Mr. Chairman, Prof. Dodoo in any way does not disrespect this House. He holds the House in high esteem. He did not insult and will never insult this House.”
“He has directed me to render unconditional apology to the House because his comments wasn’t meant to insult this House or put the institution of Parliament into disrepute,” Yoni Kulendi, Counsel for Prof. Dodoo pleaded with the Privileges Committee when his client appeared before it for questioning over his alleged derogatory remarks over the legislature.
Prof. Dodoo had been brought before the Privileges Committee of Parliament when some Members became offended over comments he made on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show and some other media houses.
The Volta Caucus of Parliament led by the MP for Ho West had passionately appealed to the Speaker to immediately suspend the Phase 1 of the Ebola Vaccine trial which was ongoing in the Hohoe Municipality until enough education was done.
But Prof. Dodoo reacting to the comments of the law makers was alleged to have said that the MPs were ignorant over the Ebola Vaccine trial and that if they don’t know anything about it they should ‘shut up’.
Such comments angered the legislators, especially, the Majority Leader, Alban Sumana Bagbin, MP for Manhyia South, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and the Ho West MP who led the appeal for the Speaker to drag him before the Privileges Committee for questioning.
The MPs complained that the remarks of Prof. Dodoo were an affront to the Constitution of the land and something that had brought the dignity of the House into disrepute.
However, upon appearing before the Privileges Committee Chaired by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ebo Barton-Odro, Prof. Dodoo through his Counsel, pleaded for forgiveness if his comments had brought the dignity of Parliament into disrepute.
After cross examining the witness, Yoni Kulendi appealed to the Chairman of the Committee to make available copies of all the documents the witnessed used to buttress his claim for study to enable them respond to the issues at stake accordingly.
He also prayed to the Committee to give them some time to study the documents.
Their wish was granted by the Chairman of the Committee and adjourned hearing to Thursday, July 16, 2015 after a number of witnesses including the Volta Regional Minister, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, MP for Hohoe, Bernice Heloo and representative from the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Francis Ankrah, were heard.
By: Kasapafmonline.com/Ghana
