The Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah; and the Chairman of the Governance and Assurance Committee, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, engaged in a verbal exchange over the withdrawal of military personnel from North Tongu during the Akosombo Dam spillage disaster.

The intense argument led committee members to intervene, prompting a suspension of the meeting to calm tensions.

The tensions began when Ablakwa, who is also the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, questioned the minister’s decision to withdraw military personnel at the peak of the disaster, sparking a defensive response from Oppong Nkrumah, a video from Metro TV has showed.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah then accused Okudzeto of using his role as Chairman of the Governance and Assurance Committee to become a "bully pulpit."

Following this, Samuel Okudzeto fumed, demanding a retraction and an apology from the minister.

“Honourable Minister you will be well advised to watch your diction. You will be well advised. You will be well advised. I will not take that. To suggest that I am using this position as a bully pulpit.”

“You have to retract that because that is not what I am doing here. You must retract and apologise. I am well within my standing orders. You have to retract that. You have to retract and apologise,” he stated.

At this point, the media was instructed to stop recording the proceedings.

Watch the video below:

'Please Media, take off your cameras'

Tensions almost escalated after Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa demanded that Kojo Oppong Nkrumah retract and apologize for indicating that he is using his role as Chairman of the Governance and Assurance Committee as a "bully pulpit." when matters… pic.twitter.com/eFqp8OZ93z

— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) August 28, 2024