Open letter to Victoria Hammah

Dear Victoria Hammah, I have heard the news of your dismissal from the governing regime of Ghana by his excellency the President John Dramani Mahama. It was deeply saddening, not for me, but for you - I can imagine.I first heard the news of your recorded conversation. When I heard it, I had no doubt it was your voice because I know you and how you try to speak with authority on some of these intra party political machinations. I always knew it was going to end like this with you - brought down by the media - just that I didn't know it would come this soon. I knew it not because I was praying for it, but because I have had arguments with you on how you carry yourself about in your media relations. First of all, you know that you and I worked together long before you even dreamt of running for that parliamentary seat that you obviously knew you will lose. We did the weekly radio show together. I brought you on the radio show frequently to 'patronize your political godfathers', as you always put it. You once even got into a near physical fight with an NPP guest during my show before the elections. I was surprised but happy when you got appointed by the president as deputy communications minister. Do you remember that I came to your office a couple of months after your appointment to visit you? You told me you enjoyed the publicity you received from your vetting. We started a discussion on negative and positive publicity. Your stand was that you enjoy any form of publicity - negative or positive. You just wanted to be in the media. I disagreed with your chosen methods. I told you about image building and the need to take it easy with negative publicity but you remained adamant. Indeed Vic, you continued to enjoy your negative publicity with a social media publication that sought to indict your party foot-soldiers making demands on you - demands that are capable of forcing you or any other public official to steal from the public coffers to satisfy them. You even got a public applause for that and I guess that spurred you on and on until you were caught on video and audio reading the wrong speech to the right audience. You interrupted your own speech in a very embarrassing manner and ridiculed yourself before the world in that episode. I guess you enjoyed that one as well? Victoria, do you still remember vividly when we met recently during the one - week funeral of the mother of one of our mutual friends, Randy Abbey, at his residence here in Accra?That day we took a stroll down to the house of Mr. Silverster Mensah which is very close by. On our arrival there we met with Abdul - Malik Kwaku Baako who was just leaving Sylvester Mensah's residence. That day we had a heated argument. Do you remember the bone of contention? I can remember it and I wish to remind you of your own words. That day I asked that you be careful - again - with the way you try to handle issues with the media. I said to you that the manner in which you allowed who ever to use such strong language in attacking the media after your aborted speech scandal in a press statement was counter productive and could spell your doom especially if you became the main target of the media. I said to you the media is too powerful for such an approach from a mere deputy minister of state. I also said to you that if you want to succeed with the media, you must learn to make friends with media practitioners rather than fighting with them and making yourself a target. And do you remember your response to me? You told me in my face that you could fight the media. You also asked me if I knew the number of stories you have managed to 'kill' in the last couple of months? You were emphatic that all was under your control and my knowledge and experience as a journalist was irrelevant in your scheme of things. I felt very saddened that you will be digging your own grave and refusing to accept free professional advice. But that was our last conversation regarding how you conduct yourself. You listened to some of us on issues of media before you became a deputy minister of state in this government. I promoted you because I believe in the ability and participation of women in our body politic. But you suddenly became madam know- it - all - rejecting even expert ideas from some of us with contempt within such a short period of time in office. With you, I now understand when they say power corrupts, and corrupts absolutely. I was hoping that with your so - called new found power, you would have fought the media vehemently in this current saga that has led to your political demise. But obviously, you were only boasting about media power that never existed in your hands. You were sacked by the President for opening your mouth too wide on the telephone ( well the president didn't exactly say why he sacked you but we all know) without even giving you the opportunity to resign with a little dignity left in you. What a shame! Does that mean the million dollar dream is cut short? And talking about a million dollars, may I ask you where you actually intended to get that from? Were you going to steal it through dubious contracts? I don't think your former boss at the ministry would have passed any of such contracts to you - and especially since you accused Omane Boamah in one of your leaked tapes of taking 'kickbacks' without giving to you what you consider your due. Did you have some 'ways and means' at the ministry of communications? But if you intended to make one million dollars , why then were you complaining about the foot soldiers who trooped to your former office for favors from you? Did you intend to 'chop' all that money all by yourself? Oh that can not be an egalitarian philosophy - unless you have forgotten what the ruling NDC stand for. I also hear that you reported your former driver who is also your cousin to the police for recording that unpalatable conversation which led to your political nemesis. I can't understand why you will do that. Are you blaming him for how loosely you spoke over that telephone? For your lack of discretion? Are you sure it was your driver, and not Ayitey Basty the guy who you hired as your personal assistant and fired recently for what ever reason? Not too long ago, before the broadcast of your voice, Ayitey Basty was threatening you on social media and dared you to open your mouth. Predictably, you didn't open your mouth. I later heard from some of our mutual friends that this former personal assistant sent you a copy of the tape for a ransom earlier in that week. Could that be true? If that is so, why are you not reporting Ayitey Basty rather than your driver? Isn't it your personal assistant who had a motive of revenge after you fired him who you should be chasing? And by the way I thought ministers were no longer entitled to personal assistants at their various ministries? Anyways, I don't think the person who recorded you did any wrong. You are just lucky we have a naive police force who will arrest anybody without even establishing the relevance of the report. Indeed, if there is anybody who should have been arrested by the police, it should have been you who is heard speaking on the tape. By reporting your driver to the police for recording you secretly on a tape, you have exacerbated your ignominy with a confirmation and authentication of it's content. Now look at the bad situation you have created for your government and party? However,I think the person who published or leaked the tape for publication has been wicked to you but they cannot take blame. The only one to blame is your arrogant self - your own mouth brought you down from the day you naively conceived the idea you have the ability to fight the media. Next time you find yourself in power in the unlikely event, please don't make new friends because they are likely to be fair weather friends. But I don't doubt you know, and you will admit humbly by now that no one can fight the media no matter who they are - not even a mere incompetent deputy minister whose sole confessed objective it is in politics to make a million dollars. Take it from me. I am a journalist and I still remain your friend. Yours sincerely, Amenga -Etego Akaabitono SaCut - The writer is a political journalist, broadcaster and ghost writer