NPP primaries: K.T. Hammond must resign for threatening to beat his contender - Dr Otchere-Ankrah

Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah says the Minister for Trade and Industry, KT Hammond must resign with immediate effect.

Dr. Otchere-Ankrah, a Governance Lecturer at the Central University, lashed out at Hon. KT Hammond, who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, following the latter's rants during the New Patriotic Party's parliamentary election on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

The Minister threatened to beat his main contender, Benefo Darkwa, to pulp after accusing him in front of police officers present at a voting center of masterminding an attack on his (K.T. Hammond) supporters.

"I am going to ensure that he is mercilessly beaten to pulp; we have voted here for 24 years, and I have never seen such an act before. How can that stupid boy, Benefo Darkwa, do that to supporters?" he quizzed.

He added, “I have voted in this constituency for over 20 years. Nothing happens every time. Last night at this place, there were body-built men beating up some of my followers. After the fight, some of the macho guys came to my house to beg me. But I want to tell you, Mr. Commander, that I will give him two types of showdown. I will beat and humiliate him here and then organize for him to be beaten physically."

But Dr. Otchere-Ankrah finds these statements dishonorable and a dent in the reputation of KT Hammond.

“For a whole minister to tell his bodyguard to bring an AK47, do you think if it were an ordinary person who said this, he would have gone scot-free?" he asked, wondering why the leaders of the New Patriotic Party have not condemned Mr. Hammond's statements.

He also questioned why the police have failed to act on the minister over his menacing words.

“What would he (bodyguard) bring the AK47 to do? Was he going to use it to kill birds?" Dr. Otchere-Ankrah fumed.

He called on Hon. K. T. Hammond to vacate his post, saying “he needs to resign. He has to resign, and he must resign.”

“So, K.T. Hammond, all you know is to spit venom. Are you not ashamed of yourself?...You should be ashamed of yourself as a minister," he further slammed the minister.

Further censuring Hon. Hammond over his utterances, the lecturer, in an angry tone, rhetorically asked, “Why don’t you learn from your colleagues who are also ministers?” and stressed, “The cool-headed people around you, learn from them.”

Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah gave these comments on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".