Rawlings Foundation Petitions Speaker Over Alleged Defamatory Remarks Against Zanetor
The John Jerry Rawlings Foundation has formally petitioned Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to investigate alleged derogatory remarks directed at Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle, by a New Patriotic Party (NPP) legislator.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Yaa Asantewaa Agyeman-Rawlings, the Foundation expressed strong disapproval over what it described as “toxic and untruthful comments” made on the floor of Parliament on February 4, 2025.
It called for swift action to safeguard the integrity of parliamentary discourse and ensure accountability.
“These remarks not only undermine the dignity of Parliament but also damage the reputation of the entire nation,” the petition stated, criticizing what it described as an increasing trend of politically charged rhetoric at the expense of constructive debate.
The Foundation highlighted former President Rawlings’ central role in shaping Ghana’s democratic landscape, emphasizing his legacy of political and economic reform. It described attempts to diminish his contributions through “reckless speech” as both dishonest and irresponsible.
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings, a three-term MP, was commended for her legislative track record, with the petition condemning the alleged comments as misogynistic and a gross act of disrespect. The Foundation urged Parliament to compel the offending MP to retract the remarks and called for institutional measures to uphold decorum within the House.
The petition concluded by stressing the need for urgent intervention, warning that failure to act could set a dangerous precedent for political discourse in Ghana’s legislative framework.
