I was speeding towards Parliament - Nanton MP speaks about accident
The Member of Parliament for Nanton, Mohammed Hardi Tuferi, has explained that he was speeding towards Parliament last Friday night when his vehicle was involved in an accident.
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In a dramatic turn of events, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Nanton was involved in a car accident on Friday night, just hours before a crucial vote on the government's revenue bills.
Related: Parliament passes 3 revenue bills
The accident happened about one kilometre away from Parliament House.
He was the one behind the steering wheel of a pickup vehicle that was involved in the accident around 9pm at North Ridge near the Absa Bank club house and the British High Commission.
Speaking publicly for the first time about the accident, the law maker admitted that he was speeding. He said his main focus was on how to get to Parliament when he was called and therefore did not see the other vehicle he run into.
He admitted he had been called to come to Parliament ahead of the crucial vote that night and so he was speeding.
In a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Tuferi said he did not see the other vehicle.
His vehicle summersaulted and landed upside down.
"I lost total control, the windscreen came down and that provided the window for me to come out of the car", he said and explained he came out of the car himself unaided.
He said it was some Parliamentary staff who first recognised him, put him in an Uber vehicle they were already riding in and sent him to Parliament. The distance from the accident spot to Parliament is about 1kilometre.
He said his immediate reaction after the accident when he came out of the vehicle was how to continue to get to Parliament to vote when he realised that he could walk and talk. So he left the scene while some of the Parliamentary staff stayed behind to take care of the valuables in his vehicle and the other victim until his niece arrived at the accident scene.
Mr Tuferi said he did not notice there was blood on him and was trying to get into the Chamber but some colleagues spotted him [Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Habib Iddrisu] and sent him to a washroom, where the nurses and the doctor came around and they cleaned him up, and stitched a cut on the upper part of the right eye.
He said he was later put in an ambulance to go for further checks and that was when his vote was added to the crucial vote as the Whip from the Minority side came to the ambulance to verify he was the one.
He was taken to the hospital for a scan on the head and was detained over night.
The next morning he was discharged and he travelled to Tamale to meet his constituents and interacted with them.
Mr Tuferi said he has since already travelled back to Accra, met the other accident victim, who was in a Toyota Corolla and they have both been to the Osu police station where the case is being handled.
Driver whose car crashed with Nanton MP narrates incident
The other victim in last Friday night's vehicular accident, identifying himself only as Kwabena, explained in a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM that the accident occurred around 9pm.
His vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, crashed with a pickup, which had the MP, Mohammed Hardi Tuferi in it.
Related: Nanton MP involved in accident while on his way to Parliament to vote on 3 revenue bills
He further stated that “My car is beyond repair. The impact was great. I do not know what he was speeding for. I believe it is God that saved me. If not that I managed to open my door, I would have been trapped in the car.”
The MP is reported to have suffered a cut on his forehead and was first taken to Parliament to vote before he was taken to hospital for further checks.
Nanton MP was stitched up in Parliament’s washroom – Habib Iddrisu reveals
The Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu on his part told Citi FM that safety precautions were taken before the MP was sent to Parliament to participate in proceedings.
“The time we were taking the voice vote, he had come to Parliament and I put him in the washroom, we didn’t put him in the Chamber, we put him in the washroom and brought the nurses from Parliament and a doctor to attend to him. The Majority Leader came, and the nurses from Parliament came to attend to him in the washroom”.
“He had minor bruises on his face, so they cleaned it up and even stitched it up. So he was stitched in Parliament in the washroom.”
He said the Speaker was informed about the accident. An ambulance was called in and the MP was sent to hospital for further checks and a scan, he said.