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In a post that went viral, the presidential hopeful of the New Force Movement, Nana Kwame Bediako, also known as Cheddar, suggested that the UK Parliament invited him to deliver a speech.
The post was accompanied by a video highlight of his engagement in the UK Parliament where he claims to have submitted a petition and apologised on behalf of African leaders for their mismanagement.
The first African leader to apologise on behalf of African leaders for their mistakes which have caused us economic crisis, currency devaluation, stagnant development etc. Apart from apologising he s also the first to present a petition on English soil in the uk parliament urging… pic.twitter.com/3pAvwFEZ9G
— Nana Kwame Bediako (@OsagyefoNKB) October 11, 2024
“[I am] the first to present a petition on English soil in the UK parliament urging the world to refrain from using their foreign influences to instigate our political systems and become our international, commercial partners instead,” Nana Kwame Bediako said in his post.
The New Force Movement leader’s post has sparked a significant debate on social media, with many questioning whether he was genuinely invited by the UK Parliament.
Fact-Check Ghana has verified the claims and presents the facts below.
Nana Kwame Bediako’s address was not an official parliamentary event
The UK Parliament, located at the Westminster Palace, is mainly made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The House of Commons, also known as the Lower Chamber, comprises mainly members of parliament elected by the public. Meetings of the House of Commons are held in its chamber with the distinguished green leather benches.
The House of Lords, the upper chamber, is made up of peers who inherit Lord status from their families or may be appointed by the prime minister based on their expertise. The House of Lords also meets in the chamber with red seats.
Nana Kwame Bediako’s event was not held in either the chambers of the House of Commons or the House of Lords where most official parliamentary meetings are held.
When Fact-Check Ghana reached out to the Press Office of the UK Parliament, they confirmed the parliament did not officially invite Cheddar.
“We can confirm that this was not an official Parliamentary event. It was hosted by MP Siobhain McDonagh,” a spokesperson of the Communications Office of the UK Parliament said in an email.
Thus, Cheddar’s address was not to the official UK Parliament but rather a private meeting hosted by a member of parliament.
Where did Nana Kwame Bediako deliver his speech?
Nana Kwame Bediako held his engagement in one of the committee rooms of the UK Parliament on October 10, 2024. The video and photos shared by Cheddar and his Romanian associate, Shalimar Abbuisi, show a large artwork hanging in the background of where they delivered the speech.
A historical night at the UK parliament.
It was an honour to speak as international spokesperson and advocate of change at the UK parliament where Nana Kwame Bediako petitioned for ‘The pilars to economic freedom’ pic.twitter.com/G97pVs7EI1
— Shalimar (Shallie) Abbiusi (@Shallie_Abbiusi) October 11, 2024
Fact-Check Ghana’s check revealed the artwork is the popular painting of the UK’s artist George Frederic Watts called “Alfred Inciting the Saxons to Prevent the Landing of the Danes” created in 1846.
According to the UK Parliament, the artwork was “bought by the Fine Arts Commissioners to hang in a Committee Room in the Houses of Parliament, where it remains today.”
The photos and videos indicate that Cheddar’s event was held in House of Commons Committee Room 10 (See here, here and here). The Heritage Collection Department of the UK Parliament also confirmed this.
Members of Parliament can book committee rooms in the UK Parliament
According to the UK Parliament, a committee room can be booked by a Committee of the House, a Member of Parliament (MP) or a Staff of the House of Commons. These groups or individuals have Full Pass Holders.
The committee room can be booked for a maximum of two hours for private meetings. If the room is required for longer meeting periods, another MP may be needed to sponsor the remaining time.
As indicated earlier, Nana Kwame Bediako’s meeting which was held in Committee Room 10 was booked by MP Siobhain McDonagh of the Labour Party, who has been serving since 1997.
Bob Blackman, Member of Parliament of the UK, honoured the Vaishnavs of the Gaudiya Mission in the British Parliament (House of Commons)
02-09-2024#srilaprabhupad150 #prabhupad150 #GaudiyaMission #sanyasi_maharaj #harekrishna #parliament #British #vaishnavi pic.twitter.com/pXgeTr244t
— Gaudiya Mission – Official (@GaudiyaMission0) September 3, 2024
For instance, about a month ago, on September 2, 2024, MP Bob Blackman of the Conservative Party honoured the Vaishnavs of the Gaudiya Mission at the UK Parliament. The meeting was held in Committee Room 10, the same place Cheddar held his event.
No international media coverage
Further affirming the fact that Nana Kwame Bediako delivered his speech in a private unofficial event held in a committee room at the instance of a sitting UK MP, there was no prominent or international media coverage.
Fact-Check Ghana’s checks revealed that reports on Cheddar’s supposed UK parliament engagement were captured mainly by Ghanaian or African Disaporian news channels. If he had been invited by the UK parliament in its official capacity, the event would have been covered by some prominent news channels like the BBC or the Guardian.
In conclusion, Nana Kwame Bediako was not invited by the UK Parliament and his address was not an official UK Parliament event. His engagement was a private meeting held in one of the UK parliament’s committee rooms hosted by a sitting MP.
