The Acting Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Kwaku Deku, popularly known on social media as Yayra Koku, has explained the recent altercation between the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Emeafa Hardcastle, and the Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh-Dompreh.
According to Deku, he was seated right next to Hardcastle when tensions flared between her and Annoh-Dompreh.
He explained that the altercation, which occurred during a sitting of the Appointments Committee on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, was caused by Annoh-Dompreh provoking Hardcastle.
In a social media post on January 28, 2025, Deku stated, “Luckily, she was sitting next to me. You came to talk to Dr. Omane. She suggested you go back and vet the nominee. Your response was, ‘We will not vet him today. You guys haven’t seen anything yet.”
She replied, “You are a micro minority; what can you do?”
Then he said, “You call me micro minority? I will deal with you in public.”
She answered, “Who are you to deal with me?”
According to Deku, “It is therefore a BIG LIE that you did not provoke her.”
A video of the incident shared by Channel One TV shows that the MP took offense at the description of his caucus as ‘micro’ by the Petroleum Commission CEO.
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, emphasised the offense in the descriptive words used by the acting CEO to describe his caucus.
“You called us 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.
The Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, delayed the vetting of some nominees of the president over some claims made by civil activist, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, against the committee on social media.
The committee chairman, Bernard Ahiafor, expressed disgust over the claim that members of the committee demand bribes from nominees before approving their nomination by the president.
The committee chairman thus directed the secretary of the committee to issue a summons to the activist to appear before the committee on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
