The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Birim Central, Solomon Kusi Brako, has launched a sharp rebuttal against the Chairperson of Parliament’s Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development, accusing her of deliberately orchestrating what he describes as a public humiliation during a recent parliamentary monitoring exercise.
According to the Birim Central MCE, the Chairperson of the Committee and Member of Parliament for Agona East, Queenstar Maame Pokuah Sawyerr, appeared to have approached the engagement with a “preconceived agenda” aimed at disrespecting and embarrassing him.
The incident occurred on Friday, June 19, during a parliamentary capacity-building and monitoring exercise organised by Parliament’s Select Committee on Local Government and Rural Development for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Eastern Region.
What was initially expected to be a routine accountability session quickly turned tense after it emerged that Solomon Kusi Brako had arrived at the event alone, without the Municipal Coordinating Director, technocrats, or assembly members who were expected to accompany him.
The exercise required each MCE or DCE to appear before the committee with their Coordinating Director, selected technocrats, and at least seven assembly members to present reports and account for their stewardship and developmental activities within their respective assemblies.
However, the absence of the Birim Central Municipal Assembly delegation immediately drew the attention and displeasure of committee members.
Members of the committee, particularly Chairperson Queenstar Maame Pokuah Sawyerr and the Vice Chairman and MP for Agotime-Ziope, Charles Akwasi Agbeve, openly questioned the apparent lack of coordination within the Birim Central Municipal Assembly.
The committee also demanded explanations regarding the whereabouts of the Municipal Coordinating Director, Peter Kombla Tetteh, and other assembly officials who were expected to accompany the MCE.
The confrontation reportedly intensified as concerns were raised over possible divisions and communication breakdowns between the MCE, assembly technocrats, the Coordinating Director, and assembly members.
Speaking in an interview on Accra-based Class TV following the incident, Solomon Kusi Brako strongly criticised the committee chair, insisting that her conduct throughout the engagement suggested she had already formed a negative impression about him before the meeting.
According to him, the atmosphere changed after he received loud applause from participants when his name was mentioned at the event.
“And Maame Queenstar, one of her issues is that I received admiration when my name was mentioned because everyone at the auditorium was clapping for me,” he stated.
He further alleged that the committee chair questioned whether the applause was staged, an action he interpreted as evidence of bias against him.
“So it is like she had a preconceived agenda and made up her mind to disrespect and disgrace me. That is how I see it because it is like someone saying bad things about you to someone else. I have not seen or met her before, but her attitude towards me confirmed it,” he said.
The Birim Central MCE also suggested that his own Member of Parliament may have influenced perceptions about him within the committee.
According to him, although every member of the panel directed questions at him during the proceedings, his MP remained silent throughout the session.
“When you sit on a committee like that and there is your colleague MP from my area, who obviously has issues with me refuses to talk, then what happened raises concerns,” he stated.
He further claimed that his Municipal Coordinating Director later informed him that his MP, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, had contacted him after the event to inquire whether it was true that the MCE’s wife had undergone a Caesarean section, an issue he implied may have contributed to the absence of some officials.
Solomon Kusi Brako also argued that MMDCEs deserve a level of respect because they serve as representatives of the President at the local government level.
“Our party people must understand that when we the MMDCEs appear before them, we represent President Mahama,” he said.
“So when I come before you and you disrespect me and treat me like I am not a human being, it is not only me you are disrespecting, but also the person who appointed me to represent him.”
He maintained that while he acknowledged the concerns raised by the committee and apologised during the session, the reaction from the committee chairperson was excessive and unnecessary.
“What happened on Friday, I think the drama was unnecessary after I apologised,” he added.
The incident has since sparked discussions on social media and within political circles, with many debating whether the parliamentary committee acted appropriately or whether the MCE was unfairly targeted during the exercise.
By 1960news.com
