The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has advised against disclosure of Members of Parliament(MPs) who have contracted COVID-19.
He maintained that MPs should on their own volition be allowed to share their status in public.
“You cannot unilaterally put into the public realm that a person is positive, let everybody know this, let every lady and gentleman, every person know this in this Republic, and it has been well-stated in this Honourable House. You cannot unilaterally put in the public realm that a person is positive,” the Speaker said on the floor of Parliament.
This comes in the wake of the denial by the Public Affairs Directorate of parliament in relation to the reports of the two Parliamentarians and 13 staff that tested positive for Covid-19.
Director of Public Affairs, Kate Addo on Wednesday discredited the report filed by Starrfm.com.gh that confirmed the news about the infections recorded in parliament.
According to her, the reports were false adding that results of COVID-19 tests conducted on the personnel had not been received at the time the website published the said story.
Barely 24hrs after the development, the Majority Chief Whip has come out to confirm the reports indicating that Parliament actually lied.
He revealed that the two Parliamentarians and 13 staff had indeed tested positive for Covid-19.
But in a reaction to the development, the Speaker said: “It is only for an individual to voluntarily, put it in the public realm and we are all learning from this as decent and honourable people and this Honourable House will follow that line of the example, that is our public duty.
“If you allow me to quote from what Honourable Dr Oko Boye said: ‘We should show that we are not in a hurry to disclose names worthy of a headline and it is my view that such sensationalism, what is going on must stop because they rather encourage stigmatisation’. When you sensationalise news, you encourage stigmatization”, he added.
0 Comments