MP for Adansi Asokwa and Minister designate for Trades and Industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, has cautioned Minority Leader Ato Forson to be circumspect about his utterances, especially during his engagement with the media, since he could be taken out of context and misreported.

K.T Hammond was responding to questions at his vetting for the role of Trades Minister when Ato Forson who was a member of the vetting committee asked about a statement a news portal had attributed to him (K.T Hammond).

According to Mr Forson, in the publication on mps.com, dated April 4, 2014, K.T Hammond had accused former President John Mahama of mismanaging the economy back then in 2014.

"Then, you were the Ranking Member of Mines and Energy and during a press conference captured by mps.com, you said: 'blame Mahama’s incompetence for economic woes," Ato Forson said.

But in response, Mr Hammond vehemently denied ever making that statement.

"I think Ato has made a quantum leap to where he’s gotten to now. He doesn’t even ascertain whether I wrote it or I didn’t write it. I don’t know what he’s talking about," K.T Hammond emphasised.

He, thus, warned Mr Forson whom he (K.T Hammond) described as a potential Finance Minister to be wary of his utterances with the media since they could be used against him in the near future.

“I don’t see my language in the kind of things that he said. It is completely unfair for the Minority Leader to question me on a document I have no knowledge about. I know he [Ato Forson] mentioned some portal and they reported something. Be careful, Minority Leader. I’m praying for you sometime later you might want to be Finance Minister. Be careful when you get these portals or news media and you start quoting and you fall in trouble," he said.

Mr Hammond was appointed by President Akufo-Addo on February 7, 2023, to be at the helm of affairs at the Trade and Industry Ministry. If approved by Parliament after his vetting, Mr Hammond will succeed Alan Kyerematen who resigned earlier this year to pursue his political carrier.

Source: The Independent Ghana