The minister-designate for Railway Development, John Peter Amewu, has apologized and subsequently withdrawn
his statements of “I’ll kill you” that he made on January 7, 2020.
He said that it was an act he
regrets and was only a result of an “overreaction” of his anger, something he
says he is working on correcting.
On January 7, 2021, in a rage of
anger, the Member of Parliament for
Hohoe was heard threatening to kill National Democratic Congress MPs who were
seen hooting at him as he approached their side of the aisle
as Parliament turned chaotic on the night.
“Tell them to come and
demonstrate in Hohoe. They cannot dare, I will kill all of you,” the MP-elect
said in rage.
But, during his vetting at the
Appointments Committee of Parliament, the former Minister of Energy
admitted to speaking those words and offered an unqualified apology to the
House and to his constituents.
This was after the Ranking
Member on the Committee, Haruna Iddrisu, asked him if he actually said
those words and if he meant them, also, to whom he was speaking them.
Read the interactions between the two below.
Haruna Iddrisu: “On the 7th of January, when the Speaker was to
be elected, with Parliament being sworn in, in some of the videos
that we have watched, and in some of the commentaries we have heard, regrettable
incidence, which is a negative on our parliamentary integrity, you were heard,
in some nice Muslim boubou dress, that ‘I’ll kill, I’ll kill.’ Did you mean
that? ‘I’ll kill you all’, and I’m told that your words was used as
justification by those who ought not to be on the floor
of Parliament like the security invasion. And what did you mean by
‘I’ll kill you,’ and who were you targeting to kill?”
Peter Amewu: Mr. Chairman, the night of 7th January, actually was a black day in Ghana’s democracy. Yes, of course, Mr. Chairman, I used that word. I regretted it. As I stood before this platform, I want to withdraw that word unconditionally.
Of course, my
constituents are watching me, Mr. Chairman, I’m a peaceful man. Of course, the
use of the word came out of overreaction – of course, one of my negative
aspects. Mr. Chairman, I’m trying to work on that. In anger mood, I said that.”
Haruna: “Who angered you?”
Amewu: Well, Mr. Chairman, I
wished my entry to the hall should have been played back. As a first time entry
to this hall, my good friends, colleagues from the part of the region where I
came from, together with other members, welcomed me in quite a bit hostile way.
I thought, as a new member, having won a very difficult seat, I should be
cheered up, only to be hooted at. That actually was the trigger.”
John Peter Amewu is
before the Appointments Committee of Parliament to be vetted for the
position of Railway Development minister.
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