[ 2017-04-03 ]

K.T Hammond

Group questions Akufo-Addo over KT Hammond snub
Some constituents of Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti
region are upset with President Akufo-Addo’s
failure to appoint Member of Parliament for the
area K.T Hammond as a minister in his government.

The constituents are especially disappointed that
the outspoken NPP MP was not considered for any
position although he was very vocal when the party
was in opposition.

In a statement issued by the group calling itself
‘the Adansi Patriots’, the constituents
outlined some key roles K.T Hammond played in
exposing the previous administration on corruption
issues which they claim contributed to the NPP’s
victory in 2016.

According to spokesperson for the group, Richard
Yeboah, supporters of the party in the
constituency want answers from the President.

“Even though we are aware of the constitutional
provision that, the President reserves the sole
prerogative to appoint and sack ministers, we
think the snub of Hon K.T Hammond, the MP for
Adansi Asokwa is very unfair and an indictment on
the people of Adansi Asokwa and the Adansi
Traditional Area at large.

“He is not just a senior Member of Parliament
but a very vibrant and knowledgeable member. We
are aware of his contributions to the party in the
erstwhile Kufuor government as a deputy minister
and his hard work during our eight years stay in
opposition.

“He has been among the few vocal and effective
members of Parliament who exposed corrupt
practices in the erstwhile John Mahama’s
government which contributed largely to the
massive victory of NPP in the December
elections.”

Below is the full statement

PRESS CONFERENCE BY ADANSI PATRIOTS ON K.T HAMMOND
HAS BEEN SNUBBED?

We act on behalf of Nananom of the Adansi
Traditional Area, the youth of Adansi and the
people of Adansi Asokwa Constituency to
congratulate His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah for
his electoral victory and subsequent swearing in
as the President of the Republic of Ghana.

Ladies and gentlemen we have called you here to
express our dismay and disappointment about the
decision of the President H.E Nana Addo Danquah
Akufo to exclude our MP, Hon K.T Hammond from the
list of ministers nominated to serve in his
government.

Even though we are aware of the constitutional
provision that, the President reserves the sole
prerogative to appoint and sack ministers, we
think the snub of Hon K.T Hammond, the MP for
Adansi Asokwa is very unfair and an indictment on
the people of Adansi Asokwa and the Adansi
Traditional Area at large.

For the records Hon. K.T Hammond is the most
experienced Member of Parliament on our bench
except Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu who has served
one more term than KT and Hon. Kennedy Ohene
Agyapong who has served the same number of years
with Hon. K.T Hammond in the house.

He is not just a senior Member of Parliament but a
very vibrant and knowledgeable member. We are
aware of his contributions to the party in the
erstwhile Kufuor government as a deputy minister
and his hard work during our eight years stay in
opposition. He has been among the few vocal and
effective members of Parliament who exposed
corrupt practices in the erstwhile John Mahama’s
government which contributed largely to the
massive victory of NPP in the December elections.

Besides he was up to the task, fought every battle
for Nana Addo and has supported every decision of
the leadership of NPP which ensured our victory.
Simply put, he has been phenomenal. With these and
many other achievements, nananom, the people and
of the youth of Adansi particularly Adansi Asokwa
were hopeful that K.T was definitely going to be
appointed as a Minister to serve in the government
of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo.

Even though we became skeptical when Nana
mentioned the first and second batches of his
nominees without the mention of KT, we were still
hopeful that he was going to make the last list of
nominations. But with 50 substantive ministers
appointed we assume the appointmens are done. Our
K T did not make the list. We find this
incredible.

We accept that not every NPP supporter or not all
the millions of the people who voted NPP to power,
not even all the members of Parliament were going
to be appointed as ministers but it’s obvious to
all by now that Hon. KT Hammond has been singled
out for an unfair treatment. On the national
scene, we can count the number, who have now made
it to ministerial list, who worked harder than our
KT.

Even though it is not conceivable that a deputy
minister could sell a ship and for that matter any
national asset without the authority of
government, it was KT who single handedly battled
the NDC to restore the reputation of the NPP when
in the noise surrounding the drill ship broke
out.

For those who have cared to read the report of the
Judgement Debt Commission, they would have seen
that not a single adverse finding was made against
him but the whole nation is aware that it was our
KT who stood firm.

It is he who has gone to court to challenge the
wrong findings of the Justice Apau Commission on
behalf of the NPP family. He is defending the NPP
both in the high court and the Court of Appeal as
we speak. The Asiedu Nketiah gimmick was all that
it was, a political gimmick and nothing more.

In his fight against the NDC corruption, KT was
sued in libel by some of those he challenged for
tampering with the nation’s resources. He took
the battle to the NDC and the results was that the
whole of the national and regional NDC apparatus
pitched camp at Adansi Asokwa in a concerted
effort to remove him at the general election as a
member of Parliament.

The President, the Vice President, Asiedu Nketiah,
Betty Mould Iddrisu, Koku Anyidoho and all those
who matter in the NDC were at Adansi Asokwa. By
Allah’s grace, he sailed through with increasedi
majority in the midst of all the scare mongering
by some top members of the regional hierarchy of
his own party. We know of other areas in which KT
also greatly helped to secure victory for the
party.

What then is the reason why of all people in
Parliament our KT has been left out. Even NDC
members are baffled. How can a material like our
KT be snubbed in such a denigrating by the
President? What is his crime? The nation wants to
know.

We of the Adansi Asokwa Constituency, the Chiefs
and the people of the traditional area require
some answers. KT deserves better than this. We
wish the President and government well.

Source - Starrfmonline.com

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