Sekou Nkrumah Faults Victoria Hammah's Dismissal

Sekou Nkrumah, a Writer and Public Commentator, says he is not impressed by the speed which characterised the dismissal of Ms Victoria Hammah as Deputy Communications Minister. Ms Hammah was sacked Friday after she was heard in a secret recording implying that she would not jeopardise her political career by engaging in squabbles with political heavyweights until she had made $1 million. She was making reference to a series of disagreements between Nana Oye Lithur, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection and her deputy, Ms Racheal Appoh. In the recording, Ms Hammah could be heard chastising Ms Appoh for daring to quarrel with Nana Oye, whom she had close links to President John Mahama and Mr and Mrs Rawlings. Describing Ms Appoh as �senseless, ugly, loud and egoistic�, she said it was unreasonable on her part to be standing up to Nana Oye when she (Ms Appoh) did not even have close to GHȻ100,000 in her account. Ms Hammah also claimed to have heard that Nana Oye played a fundamental role in securing a favourable verdict for President Mahama in the recently-concluded election petition hearing. Barely 12 hours after the recording made its way into the media, the President announced her dismissal. �His Excellency President Dramani Mahama has relieved Ms Victoria Mahama, Deputy Minister of Communications of her post as Deputy Minister,� a statement signed by Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Minister for Information, read. A section of the public has commended the President for taking a decisive step in sacking Ms Hammah, but Sekou is of the view that the President reacted too early. Describing the dismissal as a �knee-jerk reaction�, he told Accra-based Asempa FM that President John Mahama should have spoken to Ms Hammah and sought the view of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) before taking the decision to sack her. Touching on Ms Hammah comments in the recording, Sekou said it was proof that she was not qualified for the post of Deputy Communications Minister. He added that President Mahama�s appointment of several �incompetent� people, could be one reasons why the Ghanaian economy was challenged.