General News of Wednesday, 9 August 2017

Source: classfmonline.com

Edward Mahama locks out Atik, changes office keys

Suspended General Secretary, Atik Mohammed Suspended General Secretary, Atik Mohammed

The leadership of the People’s National Convention (PNC) has officially taken possession of the office of its suspended General Secretary Atik Mohammed.

Mr Mohammed was suspended by the National Executive Committee on 22 July 2017.

Sources within the party say the decision to lock out Mr Mohammed was taken after he failed to hand over keys to his office as well as other party property in his possession by a 28 July 2017 deadline.

The party told ClassFMonline.com that Mr Mohammed, despite having been served with the suspension letter/notice by NEC, kept “sneaking” into his office at the party’s headquarters.

ClassFMonline.com learnt from people familiar with happenings within the party that Dr Edward Mahama, leader of the party, instructed that the locks and keys to Mr Mohammed’s office be changed to prevent him from “intruding” further.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the PNC has taken inventory of things in Mr Mohammed’s office while plans are underway to secure a restraining order against the embattled General Secretary.

Mr Mohammed was suspended by the PNC after criticising the decision by Dr Mahama to accept an appointment by President Nana Akufo-Addo to serve as Ambassador-at-Large without recourse to the party.

He insists he remains the General Secretary of the PNC and has had his lawyers write to the party to rescind the decision.



Mr Mohammed’s lawyer, Samosn Lardy Anyenini of A-Partners@Law said in a letter dated 1 August 2017 that the party’s NEC overstepped its boundaries in its decision to suspend his client.

“We hold the instruction of the lawfully elected and constitutionally recognised General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed to reply your letter of 24th July 2017 on the above subject matter. We start by stating categorically that the decision by a few members of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to indulge in the action purporting to suspend our client was/is completely alien to the PNC Constitution and due process of the law generally.

“The purported actions were/are absolutely not in compliance with the PNC constitution and due process.

“Consequently, the purported actions were/are not only ultra vires on two separate levels, but such an egregious assault of the PNC Constitution, due process, good conscience and our clients rights that same cannot be given any regard whatsoever by our client.”