The Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, has denied allegations that he verbally attacked Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, the MP for Klottey Korle and daughter of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings.
During parliamentary proceedings on Tuesday, February 4, a male voice was heard shouting, “Daughter of a murderer, sit down! Daughter of a murderer, sit down!” The outburst occurred while Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin was addressing the House and urging members to remain calm.
The remark was made amid heated discussions regarding the 60th anniversary of Joseph Boakye Danquah’s death. The debate intensified when Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, the MP for Tamale Central, criticized the Minority for what he considered exaggerated praise of JB Danquah’s legacy.
As the debate grew more intense, Speaker Andrew Asiamah restricted contributions to only parliamentary leadership, preventing other MPs from speaking. When Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings sought permission to speak, the Speaker overlooked her and allowed Afenyo-Markin to continue. This caused further disruption in the chamber, which eventually led to the offensive remark aimed at Dr. Rawlings.
Following the incident, social media reports accused Jinapor of making the comment. However, in an interview with journalists on Wednesday, February 5, he strongly denied the allegations, calling them false and unfounded.
“Anyone who has followed my career and my public life will attest to the fact that I don’t speak in such a manner. The words being attributed to me are not words I would use. Also, I didn’t even know such words had been spoken,” he clarified.
“I found out this morning when the trending video was brought to my attention. What I can say is that the accusation is false. I don’t speak across the aisle in Parliament. If I want to speak, I draw the Speaker’s attention first. These allegations are false, and I have great respect for Former President Rawlings,” he stated.
