The Vice Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development and Member of Parliament (MP) for Agotime-Ziope, Charles Akwasi Agbeve, has strongly defended the committee’s handling of the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Birim Central, Solomon Kusi Brako, following allegations that the parliamentary committee deliberately sought to humiliate him during a recent engagement in the Eastern Region.
Speaking in an interview with 1960news.com, Hon. Agbeve dismissed the claims made by the Birim Central MCE and insisted that the committee acted within its mandate and authority during the monitoring and capacity-building exercise held in Koforidua.
According to him, the committee had formally invited all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), together with their coordinating directors, finance officers, technical staff and assembly members, to participate in the engagement.
He stressed that the chairperson of a parliamentary committee, Queenstar Maame Pokuah Sawyerr, exercises powers comparable to those of a High Court judge during committee proceedings and therefore must be accorded the necessary respect.
“The chairperson, whoever acts as the chairperson, has the powers of a High Court judge. If you are called by the committee and you have an emergency, the wisest thing to do is to inform the committee,” he stated.
Hon. Agbeve explained that the committee not only summoned MMDCEs but also requested them to appear with their administrative and technical teams to aid discussions on local governance and development issues.
He noted that several assemblies whose MCEs or DCEs were absent had their representatives present and were allowed to make presentations because prior communication had been made to the committee.
However, he said the situation involving the Birim Central MCE was different because there was allegedly no prior indication explaining his absence and that of his officials.
“We asked the Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, if there had been any indication from Birim Central and she said no,” he recounted.
The MP further revealed that this was not the first time the Birim Central MCE had allegedly failed to honour a parliamentary invitation.
According to him, the same MCE failed to appear before the committee during an earlier engagement on audit queries in Parliament last year.
“We allowed that to pass because we thought maybe he was new, so let it slide. But because we allowed it to slide, he thinks he can repeat it,” he said.
Hon. Agbeve also challenged the explanations later provided by the MCE regarding the absence of his officers.
He claimed that during the committee proceedings, the MCE initially indicated that the Municipal Coordinating Director’s vehicle had broken down before later stating that his wife was giving birth.
The legislator argued that even if there was a genuine emergency, proper communication should have been made to the committee beforehand.
“When a High Court judge summons you, you don’t just stay away because your wife is giving birth. You send your lawyer to seek permission,” he argued.
According to the Agotime-Ziope MP, tensions escalated when the MCE allegedly refused to apologise despite signals from colleagues advising him to do so during the engagement.
He disclosed that after the official proceedings ended, the MCE privately met the committee chairperson and apologised, only for media attacks and criticisms against the committee to emerge shortly afterwards.
“If you attack the chairperson, you have attacked the committee and Parliament itself,” he stressed.
Hon. Agbeve further accused the Birim Central MCE of worsening the matter by granting multiple media interviews and allegedly spreading contradictory accounts regarding the invitation and absence of his officials.
He alleged that the MCE later claimed his Municipal Coordinating Director and assembly members were unaware of the invitation, a statement he said contradicted earlier explanations given before the committee.
The MP disclosed that the committee has now formally summoned the Birim Central MCE together with his coordinating director and assembly members to appear before it again on Thursday, June 25.
According to him, all MMDCEs who failed to attend the earlier engagement have similarly been directed to report before the committee.
He warned that failure to cooperate with the committee could lead to adverse recommendations in Parliament’s final report.
“We have the powers of the High Court though we do not directly punish. But our recommendations can make things difficult and could even lead to dismissal,” he cautioned.
Hon. Agbeve added that if the committee is dissatisfied with the MCE’s explanations, the matter could be referred to Parliament’s Privileges Committee.
He, however, indicated that he personally preferred that the matter be resolved quietly without extensive media attention because the MCE is still relatively new in office.
“I would prefer it not to be on TV because he is still learning. He is a young, vibrant person and I hear he is hardworking,” he stated.
The lawmaker also used the opportunity to explain the broader purpose of the committee’s regional engagement.
According to him, the programme was designed to train MMDCEs on local governance issues, including by-law implementation, internally generated funds (IGF), revenue mobilisation and consensus-building in development planning.
He said the exercise also formed part of Parliament’s response to recent concerns surrounding local government projects and development planning across the country.
Hon. Agbeve stressed the need for stronger collaboration between MPs, MMDCEs, assembly members, chiefs and religious leaders to promote effective development at the local level.
He noted that conflicts between MPs and MMDCEs often negatively affect development efforts in various districts.
“We expect MCEs and DCEs to work with their MPs whether they are in opposition or in government.
Development should be based on collaboration and engagement,” he said.
The comments by Hon. Agbeve come after the Birim Central MCE, Solomon Kusi Brako, publicly accused the chairperson of the committee of deliberately humiliating him during the parliamentary exercise held on June 19 in Koforidua.
Speaking in an earlier interview on Class TV, the Birim Central MCE alleged that the committee chairperson approached the engagement with a preconceived agenda aimed at embarrassing him publicly.
He also suggested that his own Member of Parliament, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, may have influenced perceptions against him within the committee.
The MCE further argued that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives deserve respect because they serve as representatives of the President at the local government level.
The parliamentary committee is expected to continue its engagements with absent MMDCEs later this week as part of its ongoing oversight and monitoring activities.
By 1960news.com
