The Office of the Speaker of Parliament has categorically stated that the Speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, never attacked President John Dramani Mahama during a recent meeting.

The denial was in reaction to a news report in the Alhaj newspaper that following an earlier publication about the renovation of the chamber of parliament in the same newspaper, he (speaker) summoned a meeting during which he attacked the president for allegedly causing those negative stories to be published about him (speaker). In a press release signed by the Deputy Director of Public Affairs of Parliament, Kate Addo, the speaker’s office said those allegations about him were completely false.

The Alhaj in its October 7, 2014 edition, alleged that following its publication on the speaker of parliament unilaterally awarding contract for the renovation of the chamber of the house and refusing to make the figure known publicly even to Members of Parliament, the speaker hurriedly arranged for a meeting and abandoned proceedings to discuss the backlash of the story. According to the newspaper, during the said meeting, the speaker allegedly lambasted the president for leaking those negative stories about him to the media because he (speaker) has an eye for the presidency.

It said the speaker was mad at the story and profusely blamed the president for causing that bad press about him in front of the directors and some employees of parliament.

The deputy director said that indeed, the speaker called for a meeting on the said date when parliament reconvened for an emergency sitting to discuss the renovation works after an earlier publication by the same newspaper. Ms Kate Addo explained that at the meeting which was attended by the consultants on the project, Messrs ADK Consortium and the technical team of the Parliamentary Service, the speaker sought to confirm whether the figures quoted by the newspaper were the same as those approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

She said the meeting was held before the stipulated time of the plenary sitting of parliament and that reports that the speaker abandoned the sitting to attend that meeting could also not be true.

“At no point during the meeting was His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama’s name mentioned nor was any reference made to him personally as the one responsible for the bad press the speaker was experiencing,” the deputy director of Public Affairs said.

She therefore asked media practitioners to crosscheck their facts concerning parliament before going to press.

“Parliament of Ghana recognises the importance of the media and will continue to collaborate with the media to promote diverse views to ensure the continued growth of the country’s democracy,” she assured.