The minister-designate for Railway Development, John Peter Amewu, has apologized and subsequently withdrawn his statements of “I’ll kill you” that he made on January 7, 2020.
He said that it was an act he regrets and was only a result of an “overreaction” of his anger, something he says he is working on correcting.
On January 7, 2021, in a rage of anger, the Member of Parliament for Hohoe was heard threatening to kill National Democratic Congress MPs who were seen hooting at him as he approached their side of the aisle as Parliament turned chaotic on the night.
“Tell them to come and demonstrate in Hohoe. They cannot dare, I will kill all of you,” the MP-elect said in rage.
But, during his vetting at the Appointments Committee of Parliament, the former Minister of Energy admitted to speaking those words and offered an unqualified apology to the House and to his constituents.
This was after the Ranking Member on the Committee, Haruna Iddrisu, asked him if he actually said those words and if he meant them, also, to whom he was speaking them.
Read the interactions between the two below.
Haruna Iddrisu: “On the 7th of January, when the Speaker was to be elected, with Parliament being sworn in, in some of the videos that we have watched, and in some of the commentaries we have heard, regrettable incidence, which is a negative on our parliamentary integrity, you were heard, in some nice Muslim boubou dress, that ‘I’ll kill, I’ll kill.’ Did you mean that? ‘I’ll kill you all’, and I’m told that your words was used as justification by those who ought not to be on the floor of Parliament like the security invasion. And what did you mean by ‘I’ll kill you,’ and who were you targeting to kill?”
Peter Amewu: Mr. Chairman, the night of 7th January, actually was a black day in Ghana’s democracy. Yes, of course, Mr. Chairman, I used that word. I regretted it. As I stood before this platform, I want to withdraw that word unconditionally. Of course, my constituents are watching me, Mr. Chairman, I’m a peaceful man. Of course, the use of the word came out of overreaction – of course, one of my negative aspects. Mr. Chairman, I’m trying to work on that. In anger mood, I said that.”
Haruna: “Who angered you?”
Amewu: Well, Mr. Chairman, I wished my entry to the hall should have been played back. As a first time entry to this hall, my good friends, colleagues from the part of the region where I came from, together with other members, welcomed me in quite a bit hostile way. I thought, as a new member, having won a very difficult seat, I should be cheered up, only to be hooted at. That actually was the trigger.”
John Peter Amewu is before the Appointments Committee of Parliament to be vetted for the position of Railway Development minister.
