Since NEAT FM first aired the over 30 minutes secret tape recording of a conversation between a government appointee and a female friend, which culminated in the dismissal of Victoria Hammah as Deputy Minister of Communications, the public debate on the issue has been never-ending.
There are those who believe the President Mahama�s decision to dispense off Ms. Hammah�s services, less than 24hours after the tape was first played was too harsh, whiles others have hailed the President�s swift action.
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has meanwhile petitioned the Chief Justice to probe the eight month long election petition case due to certain revelations by Victoria Hammah captured on the tape.
Joining the debate is former General Secretary of the NPP and Member of Parliament for Okere, Hon Dan Kweku Botwe, who wants the president to clearly explain to Ghanaians the reasons for the deputy minister�s dismissal.
Dan Botwe posits the beleaguered cannot be faulted for creating room for her to be secretly recorded, considering the circumstances under which it was done, but avers she must be held responsible for her utterances.
��I believe the government must be asked to elucidate on the reasons why she was sacked...for the purpose of good governance. Why has she been sacked? What has she done? The President can undertake a normal reshuffle�that is different but in this case, we all strongly and rightly assume she was sacked because of the leaked tape. And from all what we have heard on the tape, can the government tell what aspects of the tape sounded distasteful to warrant a dismissal�
��what principle has she broken? What is government�s problem with the tape? He queried.
Speaking to Adakabre Frimpong Manso of NEAT FM, in a telephone interview on the issue, the MP for Okere stressed that the scanty nature of the press statement on her dismissal suggests that government has something to hide.
Reacting to the denial by Nana Oye Lithur, the Minister of Gender, Women and Social Protection that she played no role in securing a favourable decision for President Mahama in the momentous election petition trial as alleged by Victoria Hammah in the said tape, Dan Botwe admonished that government should not attempt to choose for the Ghanaians what aspects of the tape they should believe or discard.
�...this is a simple matter. A tape was leaked and government reacted immediately by dismissing her, but I want government to go further to tell us I sacked her because of A, B, C, D. so you see, if they have sacked her, then it means that government agrees with everything on the tape. Government accepts it and accepts what she said about the court too. How can they tell us she lied on some aspects of the tape? If she lied on any part of the tape, the she lied throughout the recording,�
��why do you consider part of the tape as incriminating and another portions as not?� the Okere MP quizzed.
Source: Prince Obimpeh/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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