President’s Wife Encouraged Me To Join Husband’s Govt – Victoria Hamah

The Deputy Minister Designate for Communication, Ms Victoria Lakshmi Hamah, has paid glowing tribute to the First Lady, Mrs Lordina Mahama, for helping her transit from student politics to national politics.

Speaking during her vetting by the Appointment Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, Mrs Hamah credited Mrs Mahama with helping her find her footing in the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

She said the First Lady, with whom she shared “family connections”, had urged her to be part of President Mahama’s government in order to encourage other women to play an active part in national politics.

She made this known when a member of the Committee enquired the secret behind her quick rise from a relatively unknown student activist to a deputy ministerial nominee. Ms Hamah also used the occasion to condemn the insults and criticisms that followed her nomination as Deputy Minister, describing them as a “sexist, reactionary and unfortunate attack on women.”

Emphasising the role of women in Ghana’s independence struggle and their contributions to national development, the Deputy Communications Minister-designate warned that the cynicism that followed her nomination had the potential to discourage women’s participation in national politics.

She said she had put the criticisms behind her because, according to her, the President had shown, by her nomination, that he was confident in her ability to excel at the Communications Ministry.

She promised to contribute her quota to the development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), if confirmed as Deputy Minister.

“Women must be part of the process to transform ICT,” she added.

Throwing light on her goals at the Ministry, Ms Hamah talked about working with the substantve Minister, Mr Edward Omane Boamah, to improve telecommunications services delivery and make the Ghana Post Company more viable.

Ms Hamah is a women’s rights campaigner and also the Executive Director of The Progressive Organisation for Women Advancement (POWA), a network of youth dedicated to protection of Women’s Rights as a link to broader social justice causes.

During her days as a student, she served as the Women’s Commissioner of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS).