Atik Mohammed in a Facebook post accused Dr. Agnes Adu of collecting GHc20, 000 as monthly salary describing her as “insensitive” considering that the company was not financially sound.

[contextly_sidebar id=”IBlRvakJ32HhAwhaLa3qZfkziE2IHxmn”]“You are appointed to help revive the struggling Ghana Trade Fair Company Ltd and you pay yourself GHS 20,000. How insensitive! I thought the Finance Minister was reviewing downward all CEO salaries!”

Mohammed further stated” “These are some of the things that will cripple this government.  No money to undertake major capital investments and some recurrent spending and yet one person heading a defunct state owned company is bagging about GHS 250,000 annually. Where are the priorities and the mantra of ‘business will not be as usual’ under the NPP?”

But responding to the allegations, Dr. Adu refuted claims that she draws GHc20,000 as monthly salary, and demanded an apology from Mohammed or be prepared to meet her in court.

“…I’ll give you 20 mins to check the record and issue an apology or I will take this defamatory post to the courts!!!!!! I get that you only live in propaganda but you’ve picked the wrong WOMAN to mess with. I intend to sue you for defamation I can guarantee you that!!!! [sic].”

Dr. Agnes Adu explained that when she took over as the CEO of Trade Fair, the place had been disconnected to the national grid and their employees had not been paid for about 18 months.

She also added that the previous CEO had not collected rents from institutions occupying running into to about GHc2 million.

“The NDC CEO had ran this company to the ground. If I want to flush the toilet, my first day on the job, I had to fetch water with a bucket and pour into the toilet tank!!! And that was only the beginning,” she wrote.

Agnes Adu also noted that within her first six months she has been able to “collect nearly GHc1 million in ground rent arrears and every penny went into the company bank account.”

She also claimed that “I worked for free at no pay and I continue to work month after month with no pay. I drive my own car to work every day.  For the first time in 18 months the employees except me get a paycheck every month. I don’t!!!!!!! I have restored ECG power to Trade Fair Center for the first time since 2015!!! And I still haven’t been paid because I am here to turn the company around,” she added.

But Mr. Mohammed in a Facebook post on Thursday February 22, dared the Trade Fair CEO to go to court.

“If anyone wants to sue for defamation, I gladly welcome that suit. I am in the least worried! I don’t easily get intimidated by such weak threats. Stronger threats have not stopped me from speaking the truth, much less these ones. The truth remains you cannot in all conscience be entitled to GHS 20,000 whiles your Organisation is a pale shadow of itself. And your justification is that your predecessor received same! That is why your predecessor is no longer at post! #CEOs must stop receiving fat salaries# Our economy lacks the capacity to suffer such salaries!”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Trade Fair CEO threatens to sue PNC’s Atik for defamation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Communications Director of the PNC, Emmanuel Wilson, Mr. Mornah was in the company of the suspended General Secretary Atik Mohammed at a recent meeting organized by President Akufo-Addo for political party leaders.

[contextly_sidebar id=”phQAYDx4gV9rFbpngMKZbHzptP01HRCv”]“We got the notification that the National Chairman was at the Flagstaff house with the suspended General Secretary. Now if you look at our constitution, one duty of the members of the party is that, they are supposed to uphold decisions of the National Executive Council and decisions of the leadership of the party at all cost, and so for the National Chairman to attend a function, with a suspended General Secretary, it means that the National Chairman has deliberately decided to breach the provisions of our constitution,” he said.

This Emmanuel Wilson said was inappropriate, especially when the party has suspended Atik Mohammed, a decision the Chairman is well aware of.

Speaking to Citi News, Emmanuel Wilson said  although Mr. Mornah has denied knowledge of how the suspended General Secretary gained access to the meeting, he still went ahead to acknowledge him at the meeting.

“The National Chairman was confronted and he indicated that he was not aware that the suspended general secretary was going to be there, but funny enough, when he got there and introduced himself as the National Chairman, we were told that he gave the microphone to the suspended General Secretary who communicated as the General Secretary and he was there and he seconded it”.

Emmanuel Wilson says the National Executive Committee will be meeting to determine the fate of the National Chairman concerning his disregard for the party’s constitution.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post PNC accuses Bernard Mornah of disrespecting party leadership appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A letter sighted by Citi News indicates that the police have invited the leader of the PNC and former party Flagbearer, Dr. Edward Mahama, for questioning on Wednesday, August 23.

The police noted that he was accused of being the “brain behind the crime.”

The PNC, in recent times, has been marred by some internal turmoil following the suspension of Mr. Mohammed.

He was suspended indefinitely by the National Executive Committee of the party, following some alleged derogatory comments he made against, Dr. Edward Mahama.

Mr. Mohammed rubbished his suspension, saying he was still at post. He also described moves to get him out of office as illegal.

The Party’s National Chairman, Bernard Mornah also described the decision to suspend the General Secretary of the party, Atik Mohammed as unlawful.

The comments followed Dr. Edward Mahama being named an Ambassador-at-Large by the President.

He had called for the resignation of Dr. Mahama from the party as he had shown ‘bad judgment’ in accepting the position.

Mr. Mohammed is quoted as saying the party could “not even be sure where [Dr. Mahama’s] loyalty is anymore… he cannot continue, in my opinion, to be the leader of the party.”

Senior members of the PNC expressed their opposition to the acceptance of the position of Ambassador-at-Large in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, by Dr. Mahama without consulting the party.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Police invites Edward Mahama over unlawful damage accusation appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The suspended General Secretary who was present at the time tried in vain to prevent the act.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NlTL1CPMecCCBbITTplAzsWc020vbJFS”]According to the party, the action was necessary because Atik Mohammed had refused to heed to the directive suspending him.

Atik Mohammed was suspended by the party for some derogatory comments he allegedly made about the party’s flagbearer in the 2016 elections, Dr. Edward Mahama; a decision he has rejected.

National Vice Chairman of the PNC, Henry Asante who was with those who locked up the office told Citi News that they took the decision following several unsuccessful efforts to get Atik to vacate the premise.

“He was supposed to hand over all possessions to the party in a weeks’ time by 28^th of last month [July], we waited but he never abide by the order. So the party had no option than go and inform the Police.”

Mr. Asante said they police advised that they serve Mr. Atik a notice which they did adding that “after four days after the expiration of the notification, the party went to change the locks to his office because before then we have heard that he was coming clandestinely into the party office to perform whatever duty he wants.”

“I have in my possession one of the keys and Dr. Edward Mahama has the rest. I was part of those who did the locking, based on the leader’s instruction. The acting General Secretary was there as well as the treasurer. Yesterday we gave our statement to the police. So Atik cannot tell us that he was not privy that. Yesterday he came to the police station, the police invited us and together with him we went to the office and saw the key locked. We took inventory and the police also penciled down their statement,” he added.

Atik rejects ‘unlawful’ suspension

Meanwhile, the embattled general secretary Atik Mohammed says he has formally written to the party to protest what he describes as unlawful suspension.

“I went there last Friday and I couldn’t open the door because the key had been broken and replaced. So immediately I placed a call to my lawyers and the instruction was to go and lodge a complaint with the police so that an investigation would be conducted. So I did that. Before then someone had told me that Akane [PNC treasurer] had sent him a Whatsapp message saying they had destroyed the lock and replaced. When Akane was invited he came in the company of Henry Asante one of the Vice Chairmen and some other people and they confirmed that they did the breaking. However, another revelation that came was that they said they did that on the instruction of Dr. Edward Mahama,” he noted.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post PNC locks suspended General Secretary’s office appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Atik Mohammed was suspended indefinitely over the weekend, following some alleged derogatory comments he made against former PNC Flagbearer, Dr. Edward Mahama.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nwWoCnuZWYYdSBHar2UtddJRD0lc8VJT”]Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Mornah said plans are underway to organize another NEC meeting to discuss the development.

“There is travesty of justice. I think our constitution was turned on its head. As National Chairman, I cannot supervise over blatant abuse of our constitution, and in particular that of the National Executive Committee. I have sought some opinion particularly from the drafters of our constitution, and from the legal committee of our constitution, and they are advising that I should call a National Executive Committee meeting to do the appropriate thing. There was no complaint at any moment.”

“I called for the NEC, and it was a pre-item agenda, and as part of it, I stated clearly that, we were going to ensure that we discuss issues pertaining to recent happening such as Edward Mahama being appointed as Ambassador at large , I was really scandalized when I heard the news, and I think that I cannot accept that the General Secretary is on suspension.”

Atik Mohammed had however rubbished his suspension, saying he was still at post.

But the Communications Director for the PNC, Emmanuel Wilson, is insisting Atik Mohammed has been suspended.

“The National Executive Council is the second highest decision body, and if National Executive Council makes a decision, the only body that can overturn that decision is NEC itself or congress. Aside that, no individual in the party can overturn the decision and as far as the decision of NEC is concerned, and per the meeting we had on Saturday, the former General Secretary is no more a General Secretary. He has been suspended indefinitely and we have an acting general secretary in the person Jacob Amoako,” Mr. Wilson explained.

“This is not the first time; this reaction is expected. What didn’t Kwabena Agyepong of NPP say? What didn’t Akomfreh of CPP say when they were suspended? It is his right to talk so anyone can talk. It is when he comes to the office and he gets access to his office as General Secretary then he is allowed to play his role. If you  are not allowed to play your role as General Secretary and you keep going around telling everyone you are the General Secretary it is easier said than done.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Atik Mohammed’s suspension unlawful – Bernard Mornah appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The National Executive Committee of the party suspended Atik after a meeting on Saturday

[contextly_sidebar id=”wVNOHX51P1nTmxkg6vBB2H1xEFsyjsJY”]Mr. Atik, who is insisting he has not been suspended, described moves to get him out of office as illegal.

“I’m still the General Secretary of the People’s National Convention until we go to Congress. There is even confusion in what people are communicating. Some said I’ve been suspended for my misbehavior towards the appointment of Mr. Mahama which we did not even get the opportunity to discuss.

“In anyway what do they mean by misbehavior towards his appointment and for which reason some group of people will sit there and say they are handing me a suspension . They do not have that competence so I will treat it as the joke that it deserves and continue to perform my duties,” Atik Mohammed said.

Atik Mohammed had called for the resignation of Dr Mahama from the party as he had shown ‘bad judgement’ in accepting the position.

He is quoted as having said that the party could “not even be sure where [Dr Mahama’s] loyalty is anymore . . . he cannot continue, in my opinion, to be the leader of the party.”

Dr. Edward Mahama, who has been flagbearer of the PNC five times, was named Ambassador-at-Largeby President Akufo-Addo a few weeks ago.

However, some officials of the party, including National Chairman, Bernard Mornah expressed their reservations about the appointment suggesting that it would limit his objectivity on national issues.

Bernard Mornah also stated that Dr Mahama had violated his own principles, having reportedly opposed the appointments of other party members by previous governments, a claim the former flagbearer has categorically denied.

“Edward Mahama had refused to become vice president of Ghana; he also refused a health Minister position before. He had led and supervised the suspension of party members who did not allow their appointment to come to the party before they were appointed into other positions like Mallam Issah,” he told Citi News.

“Even Thomas Atiga, the Ashanti Regional Secretary then who went to support Patricia Agyei’s candidature in the Asawase by-election were all dismissed because Dr. Mahama won’t countenance it. And those other individuals who went their way, he considered that as poaching of our members. And we have been lampooned together including Ambrose Dery among others.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post ‘I’m still at post’ – PNC’s Atik Mohammed insists appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the irate supporters, the leadership of these two executives has contributed to the dwindling fortunes of the PNC.

They have accused them of supporting and speaking for the two major political parties; the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

A former PNC parliamentary aspirant for Ayawaso North, Mohammed Abdulai Gyanlo, who led the protest, handed a two-week ultimatum to the two executives to step down.

Speaking to Citi News, he said, “we are where we are because of that greed. They personally came to power in order to amass wealth for themselves which some of us saw clearly and we decided to go against them.”

Mr. Gyanlo thus demanded the Bernard Mornah and Atik Mohammed resign, saying, “we are giving them an ultimatum of two weeks after which there will be a positive action. We are asking them to resign now for us to see the way forward.”

Atik responds

Atik Mohammed has however downplayed the credibility of the protesters, alleging that the protesters were largely alien to the PNC, thus the protest was not a reflection of the party supporters’ sentiments towards the leadership of the party.

Speaking to Citi News in response to the protests, Mr. Mohammed said the allegations are being championed by individuals who want to see the downfall of the present leadership.

“We came with some mechanisms which they find highly uncomfortable, but those mechanisms are meant to change the fortunes of the people,” the party General Secretary said.

“So somebody went somewhere, I am told somewhere around Nima, and found these individuals to write these placards and say all kinds of things.”

Mr. Mohammed also suggested that, all true supporters of the party were standing by their Flagbearer, Dr. Edward Mahama in court, as he fights his disqualification from the presidential race on Tuesday morning.

“Today [Tuesday] in court, these very individuals who claimed that we were solely responsible did not appear. If they loved our candidate that much, if they loved our party that much and they actually wanted our participation in this year’s election, they should have been in court.”

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Photos: Philip Nii Lartey

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mornah, Atik given 2 weeks to resign as PNC executives appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.