MP slams malicious critics after parliamentary gaffe, defends legislative record

The Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, Millicent Amankwaah, has hit back at online detractors who ridiculed her for a verbal misstep during a parliamentary debate, dismissing the mockery as a politically motivated attempt to undermine her credibility.

The controversy began on February 19, 2026, when Ms. Amankwaah contributed to a heated floor debate regarding the tragic killing of eight Ghanaian tomato traders in Burkina Faso. While expressing condolences to the victims’ families, the first-term MP misspoke, pronouncing the word “bereaved” as “believed.”

The slip was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media, drawing a wave of criticism and public ridicule. What many viewed as a minor error escalated into a partisan flashpoint, with opponents of the lawmaker using the clip to question her competence and eloquence.

However, in a robust defense of her character delivered via a Facebook Live broadcast, Ms. Amankwaah refused to be defined by the mistake. She framed the backlash as a symptom of a broader, damaging trend in Ghanaian politics where personal attacks overshadow substantive issues.

“Because I really want us to speak as young ones, let’s call a spade a spade and be truthful to ourselves. No more political entertainment,” Ms. Amankwaah stated emphatically. “You cannot use anybody’s image to make mockery. When we are talking about topical issues and people make mistakes, after correcting it, you think it’s a platform to undermine the ability, the capability and the potential of the person, then I am sorry.”

The MP argued that a single verbal slip should not erase her track record of public service and leadership, pointing to her tenure as the Women’s Commissioner at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). “You should go and ask of my records,” she challenged her critics. “As a former SRC Women’s Commissioner of KNUST, I am not someone these things can break. If this is the path you have taken, then please, you have a very long way to go.”

Asserting her resilience, Ms. Amankwaah made it clear she would not be silenced. “I am not going to shut this mouth that thousands of people voted for me to come to the chamber to express my views. I am equally capable and can deliver better within four years. I am not a coward. I am a young, vibrant woman.”

The Sunyani West legislator also suggested the attacks may be an early salvo in the political maneuvering ahead of the 2028 general election, aimed at damaging her image to benefit a potential rival. She placed her political future in a higher power, stating, “So, whoever is making mockery of that few statements I made, and they think that because of political affiliation it is a platform to destroy my image and pave way for their candidate in 2028, let me say this: 2028 belongs to God.”

“And so far as we are children of God, and I am a strong child of God, there is nothing that will be beyond my scope of knowledge,” she concluded.