Professor Dodoo happy to face parliament over 'ignorant' Ebola comment

Professor Alex Dodoo says he has no difficulty facing parliament to defend his reactions after it ordered the suspension of an Ebola vaccine trial.

Although he is yet to receive any official invitation, Alex Dodoo who is also with the University of Ghana told Joy News, he will honour it “respectfully”, “happily” and “gladly”.

He is alleged to have described MPs as ignorant after he questioned parliament’s reaction to plans for Ebola Vaccine trials in the Volta region.

Proceedings in parliament
The motion filed by Ho West MP , Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzra on Tuesday asked that the professor be invited to explain “why he insulted us”.

According to the Ho West MP, the scientist was “speaking in a language I cannot repeat on the floor of the house”.

The politician described Alex Dodoo’s comments as “a serious indictment on the House”.

Supporting his call, Majority leader Alban Bagbin noted that “assuming we are all wrong. Why we have a right to talk?”

The motion enjoyed bi-partisan support.
The Speaker Rt. Hon Edward Doe Adjaho read statement from the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences to confirm his belief that parliament did the “right thing” in calling for the suspension of the trials.

“These are fellows of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences...He should go and challenge the professors in his field”.

“I have been very slow since I became a Speaker to refer matter to the Privileges committee. I will exercise my discretion in favour of the call to refer professor Dodoo to the committee”, Doe Adjaho ruled.

The MPs cheered in agreement.
Standing Orders
According to the Standing Orders of Parliament, a person could face the privileges committee for “any act or omission which affronts the dignity of Parliament or which tends either directly, or indirectly to bring the name of Parliament into disrepute”.

It continues that “in all cases of proceedings where complaints are made of a breach of privilege or contempt of Parliament, Mr. Speaker may direct that the matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges.

“(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in these Orders Mr. Speaker may refer any questions of privilege to the committee of Privileges for examination, investigation and report”.

Alex Dodoo on the Super Morning Show
Last week Thursday on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Professor Dodoo reserved his shock for parliamentarians in particular, regretting that politics had seeped into technical issues such as a clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine.

“What shocked me it that, I heard Member of Parliament say that, do we have systems. Does the Member of Parliament not know that we have the FDA which is being regulated by the Public Health Act of 2012 and that, that organization is mandated by our laws to carry out clinical studies? If these members of parliament had just taken the most casual of checks with the body licensed to do this”.

“People have gotten it so wrong and it is sad. It is sad for the country, it is sad for science” he lamented

Speaking Tuesday evening on his invitation, Alex Dodoo said social media, served him the news of parliament’s directive.

“All this is news to me”, he told Joy News’ Evans Mensah.

According to the Professor, his comments were, nonetheless, made from his position as a scientist and therefore were “truthful and factual”.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline|Edwin Appiah|[email protected]