News:
June 16, 2015
Parliament is to drag Prof Alex Dodoo of the School of Medicine and Dentistry of the University of Ghana before its Privileges Committee for purportedly attacking MPs over the failed Ebola vaccines trial in Hohoe.
The acclaimed scientist in an interview on Accra based radio station Joy Fm last week urged Parliamentarians to humbly apologize to Ghanaians for their uninformed and ignorant assertions about the Ebola vaccines trial.
The Professor’s comment followed MPs expressing their disquiet about the intended exercise which had not been well explained to the good people of Hohoe, which eventually led to the Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia, suspending the proposed Ebola vaccines trial.
Prof. Dodoo said it was embarrassing to note that MPs were asking elementary questions on the floor of the House including whether the trial had been done on mice and chimpanzee at a time that they should have known that the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has been mandated by Parliament to undertake such trials.
However during Tuesday’s sitting, MPs who felt very incensed about the matter were of the view that his comment was a gross affront to Parliament, which led to the Speaker Rt. Hon. Doe Adjaho to summon him before the House.
The Speaker said “I have been slow to referring matters to the Privileges Committee ever since I became the Speaker, but after listening to the comments by MPs, and also reading a statement from the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, I believe we have to invite Professor Dodoo to answers some questions”.
He further directed the Health Committee to engage the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders on the Ebola vaccine trial and inform the House accordingly within three weeks.
GhanaMPs.gov.gh