NPP USA's Press Release on the Victoria Hammah Saga

The USA Branch of the New Patriotic Party has learnt with utmost shock, the damning revelations made by Victoria Hammah, now former deputy Minister of Communications, that the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition delivered by Justice William Atuguba on the 29th of August was influenced by the government of President John Dramani Mahama. Ms. Hammah has said that Oye Lithur, the wife of the President's lawyer, was with the Justices prior to the verdict. Subsequent to the verdic the President has appointed Oye Lithur as a minister of state. In addition, Tony Lithur has been appointed as Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Board.

There has been intense speculation about whether there was executive interference since the 6-3 verdict was announced and subsequently changed to 5-4, which on closer inspection was a 5-4 verdict against the President. Considering that Victoria Hammah is a deputy minister, who likely has inside information, her statement cannot be simply ignored or discounted. Nor can Mr. Mahama Ayariga's belated denial be considered credible. After all it was this same Mr. Ayariga who denied that President Mahama had ever met the world-renowned gay activist, Andrew Solomon in New York. We consider Ms. Hammah's private voluntary confession as more credible than Mr. Ayariga's self-serving strategic denial. We also do not put much credence in Ms. Lithur's self-serving denial.

NPP-USA is adding its voice to the call for the arrest and interrogation of Victoria Hamah, and a probe into the verdict of the Justices of the Supreme Court on the election petition. We call on the Chief Justice to institute a commission to probe this serious allegation of the executive interfering with the adjudication of justice by the Supreme Court in the 2012 Presidential Election Petition. This has become extremely urgent and necessary considering the explosive revelations made by no less a person than the former Deputy Communications Minister, Victoria Hammah.

NPP-USA also calls on Parliament to also institute a probe into this allegation because the very foundation of our democracy and the administration of justice have been seriously compromised, if proven to be true.

NPP-USA is also calling on CHRAJ to institute independent probes into the allegation, put Victoria Hammah, Nana Oye Lithur and the Justices she met prior to the verdict on oath to ascertain the truth or falsity of the allegation. This is how the sanctity of our judiciary and the separation of powers can be restored and respected.

Also revealing but not shocking, is the extent of greed with which the corrupt and hopelessly incompetent John Mahama’s government officials are plundering the nation’s coffers, as if it were from the spoils of war. We concur with the observation of Mr. Albert Bagbin the corruption has reached epidemic levels under the President.

NPP USA is not impressed by the firing of Ms. Victoria Hammah, who, considering her background and experience, should never have been appointed or confirmed by Parliament. Of course, Ms. Hammah is not the only unqualified minister. It is time for the President to prune the size of his bloated ministerial staff and abandon the use of ministerial appointment as a platform for giving jobs to his family and friends, as recently confirmed by Albert Bagbin.

Nana Agyei Yeboah,

Chairman, NPP-USA.