Anti –corruption group, Egality Law petition EC: give 14 days ultimatum to investigate alleged corruption at EC

Mrs. Charlotte Osei, EC Chair

Two anti-corruption organizations and Egality Law Firm in Accra have officially written to petition the Electoral Commission (EC) in connection with alleged corruption at the commission’s district office in Kasoa in the Central Region, given them 14 days ultimatum to investigate the case.

The two, Klarity – an online anti-corruption platform where users can anonymously upload corruption related videos, and Tiger Eye Foundation addressed the petition to the EC Chair, Mrs. Charlotte Osei and submitted on Friday April 11^th. A legal practitioner with Egality Law Firm, Mr. Musa Tanko was the leader of the group.

“We are now writing to you formally to petition for the investigation of this complaint, and to request respectfully that you acknowledge receipt of this letter, confirming that the matter will indeed be investigated. We would be grateful if you could ensure that this matter receives the urgent attention of the Electoral Commission. Our client [Dundas Whigham] requests that you acknowledge this letter within fourteen days (14) days”, the letter stated.

According to a Klarity user, the petition was received by the Head of Communications at the EC, Mr. Kofi Dzakpasu and he immediately forwarded to the registrar for the next action to be taken. The user added that, upon receipt, Mr. Dzakpasu mentioned that “the case was already being reviewed and this would speed up the process for the disciplinary committee to take action on the culprit”.      

The petition included a formal written letter and over 500 online signatories gathered to press home the EC to take action on the matter. “Klarity have since raised a petition in respect of this matter, the signatories to which are enclosed with the hard copy of this letter”, the letter further added.

Story Background                                             

On January 10^th and April 4^th this year, Corruption Watch – an anti-corruption progrmme on Joy FM Super Morning Show, aired and discussed an investigative work I undertook at the EC head office in Accra and Kasoa to expose wrong doing at the commission for action to be taken by the authorities concerned.

According to the EC, replacement of lost voter identity (ID) cost Ghc5. However, some staff at the two offices mentioned charge unofficial amount ranging from Ghc30 to Ghc50 aside the official amount before this can be done.

That official amount must be paid at the Ghana Commercial Bank account’s number of the EC, and then the person sends the bank receipt to the district office where the previous registration took place for new voter ID to be issued. This means that, EC staff are not to take any money at the “counter”.

However, investigations revealed that some staff at the EC’s head office have abused this directive by charging unofficial amount of money before carrying out this “public service duty”. Investigations were conducted and a staff at the Kasoa district office was caught twice in a week demanding and collecting Ghc30 and Ghc40 for this service.

Due to limited funds, my investigations cannot emphatically state the amount of money the staff has collected from the number of people who have visited her office within a specific period.

However, in one of the videos, she pulled a list of “over 500 people” who were yet to come for their voter ID because there were "no laminate”. Five hundred (500) multiplied by Ghc40 will amount to Ghc 20, 000. This is from only one office. This tells that this practice is not only petty, but bigger. 

Further investigations revealed that the “no laminate” claim was untrue as a staff at the head office stated that there were enough laminate.

Please watch video below.

https://googleweblight.com/i?u=https://www.modernghana.com/news/849020/anti-corruption-group-egality-law-petition-ec-gives-14-da.html&hl=en-GH&tg=26&tk=8121979432780776996

Did you miss BBC World Questions Debate in Accra? Here is a link

Panel and invitees at the BBC WQ Debate 

Last weekend, the BBC World Service aired the debate it organised at the British Council Auditorium in Accra.

The programme is aimed at bringing face to face citizens and people in decision making in their respective countries so they ask questions on topical issues facing them.

If you missed it, this is a link.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswthc

Credit: BBC World Service

Ghana - US military deal: Joyce Mogtari questions why 'shithole' country associates itself with US

Joyce Bawa Mogtari

Special Aide to former President, John Mahama has questioned government why it went ahead to sign a military agreement with the United States at a time US president has referred to African states and some Caribbean nations as “shitholes” countries. 

Early this year, President Donald Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as “shitholes countries”. He made this comments during a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators at the White House, The Washington Post reported.

According to Joyce Bawa Mogtari, such comments from President Trump were 'unfortunate' and regrettable where Africans never expected this to have emerged from a leader of a great ally. 

Her  response was to a question I asked the panel - "why does the US want to build a military base in a 'shithole' country?" 

"Unfortunate comments, uncharacteristic of any American president that we have ever actually encountered, but of course this is a totally different administration". 

"It actually brings into question really why we still want to put aside our national interest, our national sovereignty and subject ourselves regularly to this sort of comments by a leader of a country that we consider as an ally", Madam Mogtari stated.

She said this during the BBC World Questions debate last Tuesday April 10th at the British Council auditorium, Accra, Ghana.   

The host of the debate Jonathan Dimbleby, a veteran BBC broadcaster, immediately interrupted and asked if the previous administration, where Madam Mogtari was a member, also surrendered Ghana’s sovereignty when they signed a similar agreement with the US.

On this note, the special aide disagreed. She noted that the current military agreement cannot be compared with the previous one because it is an 'enhanced agreement'

"On this point Jonathan I think I will disagree. I do think that we do have existing agreements that we do have in the past. In terms of military co-operation, we have always indeed had military co-operation not just with the US, but several other countries". 

"I believe that this particular agreement, as it describes itself in its preamble, is an enhanced agreement, it does contain other portions that separately different from what we have before", she said. 

Panel members and invitees during the debate

A social entrepreneur, development activist and president of Mpedigree, Mr. Bright Simmons was of the view that the current military agreement with the US is a substandard agreement. 

He added that the people at the helm of affairs have not done the right thing for Ghana in this military agreement. 

"If you compare the quality of the agreement we have with the US, since 1998, to those that other countries have with the US, ours is not of the requisite quality. So the political elites have to acknowledge that they have not done right by us", Mr. Simmons stated.

Communications minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, however, believed that the current military agreement with the US was born out of the increasing number of terrorism in the West African sub-region. 

And that there is the need to have better intelligence on the ground in order to protect the country from “transnational organized crimes and terrorist activities”.

“We are living in an increasingly dangerous neighbourhood where there is terrorist activity around us and on our borders in Cote d’ivoire and in Burkina Faso. We have seen increased military activity, terrorist activity". 

"We may not be able to have the capability on our own to resist that to have forward knowledge or advanced intelligence of those activities. We do need international co-operation to fight transnational organized crimes and terrorist activities”, the minister mentioned.

The BBC World Questions is a programme designed for citizens in their respective countries to have face to face interaction with members in decision making positions and ask them questions on topical issues that are directly or indirectly facing them. 

Among the panel was the General Secretary of the National Association of Charismatic and Christian Churches Bishop Titi-Ofei.   

Please watch video below. 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/848313/joyce-mogtari-questions-why-a-shithole-country-associates.html

Rawlings and I Are One (Part 2); the interesting twist (Updated)

Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham

Archival documents obtained from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in the UK have proven that Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham (1865-1950 G.C.B, K.C.M.G., D.S.O) did not father my grandfather. 

However, another British soldier by name Major Robert Dundas Whigham (King's Own Scottish Borderers, Lancashire Fusiliers), born on 31st January, 1873, actually fathered my grandfather. 

This is because, Gen. Sir R. D. Whigham never had any West African Service; at the time my grandfather - Robert Dundas Whigham was born (14th October, 1911), he was in South Africa. Major Robert Dundas Whigham was then serving in the Gold Coast.

The documents below show the service records of the two Robert Dundas Whigham.

Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham (1865-1950)

Major Robert Dundas Whigham (1873-1920s)

"I read your email and article for ‘Modern Ghana’ with interest. I also found a similar article wherein you give scans of the Government Gazette of the time. I regret to inform you that you have made a mistake in the identity of Robert Dundas Whigham, leading you to the erroneous conclusion that his records were deliberately hidden due to his having fathered an illegitimate child". 

"Your ancestor had exactly the same name as the General Sir Robert Dundas Whigham but was born on a different date", Mr. Sebastian Puncher, Deputy Curator, The Sandhurst Collection noted. 

Service records of the two soldiers

I was shocked and emotional when he revealed this interesting but "annoying" twist. For the past eight years when I started researching to know who my identity was, I have never come across another soldier with the same full name as Robert Dundas Whigham. Interesting, isn't it? 

The documents Mr Puncher attached revealed that Gen. Sir R. D. Whigham never had any West African spell. He took part in the battle of Atbara in Sudan, was employed with the Egyptian Army, South Africa etc. 

At the time, Major R. D. Whigham was on his third tour as a Lt. of the the Infantry, West African Frontier Force (W.A.F.F.), Gold Coast Regiment (GCR) from 1907-1911 stationed in Kumasi, now Ghana's second largest city. Before that, he had been to Nigeria from (1900-06)- second tour. 

The West African Frontier Force was formed by the British Colonial Office in 1900 to garrison the colonies of Nigeria, Gold Coast (Ghana), Sierra Leone and Gambia. 

Short info on Major Robert Dundas Whigham 

Major R. D. Whigham left the Gold Coast on 22nd December, 1911 for his mandatory leave to Liverpool after he had fathered a son -my grandfather, born on 14th October, 1911. His name was Robert Dundas Whigham, a former foreman of the Ghana Railway Corporation. 

Short info on Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham

He never returned to the Gold Coast. As to why he didn't come back from his mandatory leave, I am yet to know. New information suggest he died four years after leaving Ghana. 

I have already poured out my sentiments and feelings in the Part 1 of this article (please check https://themanualgh.blogspot.com/2017/11/rawlings-and-i-are-one-comparative.html?m=1) and there is no need to continue it here.

My parents 

In Ghana, he was single. It would have been prudent for him to return to at least, do the honourable thing by letting the child know who his actual father was. 

As the son of a British major, my grandfather didn't deserve the kind of hardship he went through and the circumstances leading to his death in 29th June, 1984 was really a sad one. 

Apologies to the family of Gen. Sir Robert  Dundas Whigham. However, in another document seen shows that Major Robert Dundas Whigham mentioned one Capt. Whigham as his brother. Though they share different fathers, but it is possible the two could be cousins. 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/846283/rawlings-and-i-are-one-part-2-the-interesting-twist.html

Punish EC staff caught collecting bribe - Dr. Oduro Osae

Dr. Eric Oduro Osae, Technical Advisor, MLGRD

The technical advisor to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) Dr. Eric Oduro Osae is charging the Electoral Commission (EC) to punish a staff caught taking bribe before rendering public services. 

According to him, punishing the staff will serve as a deterring signal which will prevent people from doing it again. He said this last Wednesday April 4th during Joy FM's Super Morning anti -corruption show, Corruption Watch, hosted by Daniel Dadzie.  

"This woman (EC staff) for instance, must be punished in the Kasoa district and people there should be satisfied that she has been punished".

"Once this is done, it sends a deterring signal to people and they will end up not doing it again", Dr. Oduro Osae said. 

Dr. Osae (left), Mrs. Addah (middle) & Dundas Whigham

Among the panel on the show were Mrs. Mary A. Addah, Programmes Manager, Ghana Integrity Initiative and Dundas Whigham, an investigative journalist who twice within a week captured the EC staff collecting bribe before replacing lost Voter Identity (ID) card. 

Dr. Oduro Osae touched on the culture and habit of Ghanaians which is impeding the fight against corruption. He noted  that we have not cultivated the habit of encouraging people to report without fear. 

This, the technical advisor added that is largely due to mistrust in some state institutions. "People know when they report, their confidentiality or identity cannot be hidden", he stressed. 

He further touched on the security of the journalist who exposed this canker. "This gentleman (Dundas Whigham) has exposed one corrupt act. What is the benefit? Who is supporting him by way of finances and protection? He will have to manage it himself", Dr. Oduro Osae lamented. 

In the wake of frustrations poured out by the journalist during the show,  owing to the fact that the EC has not taken any action, after six months since the commission's attention was drawn to it, Mrs. Mary Addah had some unique suggestions. 

She stated that dealing with some state institutions, especially the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) usually takes time due to some challenges, particularly with staffing. 

However, she added that GII and CHRAJ have been working fruitfully for quite a long time and have received positive responses from the latter. 

"I appreciate his frustrations, but then we have been doing this for long and we have achieved some results. We do not necessarily seek to justify some of the lapses in the public sector, but they have actual challenges with staffing and so sometimes it takes longer than you would expect to have results", Mrs Addah noted. 

She added that it is important to continue pushing to ensure that this issue is not forgotten. "Investigations must be accompanied with enforcement", she stressed. 

Story Background  

On June 2017, an EC staff at the Kasoa office, in the Awutu Senya East Constituency of the Central Region Madam Harriet Djanie was caught twice on tape within a week collecting Ghc30 and Ghc40 respectively before replacing a voter ID.

According to the EC, when persons lose their voter ID card, such persons must pay Ghc5 at the Ghana Commercial Bank, then send the receipt to the district where the previous registration took place for a new voter ID to be issued.

However, some staff at the Kasoa office and Ridge Head Office have been charging unofficial amount ranging from Ghc30 to Ghc50 aside the official amount before replacing lost voter IDs. 

Since the EC's attention was drawn to it on October, 2017, the commission has failed to take any action. 

Over 500 people have signed an online petition, orchestrated by Klarity to press the EC take action and this will soon be delivered to the EC. 

According to the programmes manager of GII, CHRAJ is still investigating the issue and will soon come out with their findings.

Users should log onto Klarity.org (anti -corruption platform where people can upload videos that are corrupt in nature) to watch the videos on petty corruption at the Electoral Commission. 

https://www.modernghana.com/news/846003/punish-ec-staff-caught-collecting-bribedr-oduro-osae-fumes.html

The Hypocrisy Behind State Institutions Mandated to Fighting Corruption

Ghana President H. E. Nana Akufo-Addo

How many investigative journalists  do we have in Ghana? How many of them are bold enough to show their faces to prove their real identity? Even Africa's most decorated investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas does not do that.

This is because of the high risk involved in this kind of journalism. It is important to share this life experience after four years of practicing as a freelance journalist, specializing on investigative journalism. 

When a journalist uses his own resources and risks his life to go undercover to expose corrupt acts and officials, state institutions who are directly or indirectly involved in the fight against corruption must immediately act after their attention is drawn to them. 

When it is proven beyond every reasonable doubts that indeed corruption occurred, the people involved must be punished as the law requires. This will deter others from doing same. 

However, when these institutions fail to take action, and the perceived culprits keep monitoring your movement, it puts your security at risk. 

This is the central idea of more than five investigative stories I have done. I have never admitted to being in a wrong profession, but I admit to being in a wrong country whose state institutions are themselves highly corrupt, dormant and hypocrites.

The following are some state institutions I have dealt with directly.

Ghana Health services (GHS).

Hon. Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health 

On Wednesday, 5th October, 2016, the New Crusading Guide Newspaper published a leading story titled "Rot at Amasaman Hospital Uncovered! Over 10,000 patients folders recycled and sold". 

This is a story where the hospital made more than Gh50,000 by destroying patients records in their folders, rebranded and sold them to new patients who attended to the facility. This practice, according to the GHS and the Department of archives was against the 2015 retention policy of the GHS, and therefore illegal. 

I met with some top officials of the GHS in April 2017 and later followed it up with a letter (EMS) addressed to a Deputy Director General of the GHS dated 22nd May, 2017. The honest response from one of the officials during the meeting was that they don't buy the newspaper and that was why they haven't heard it. 

Destroyed patients folders put in sacks 

They stated that the case would be forwarded to the Greater Accra Regional Office for investigations to be done then keep me posted.

After a year, the GHS failed to carry out any investigations, failed to keep me posted and failed to answer any of my calls.

Some destroyed folders at the hospital 

Aside this, I met with then Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Mr Tony Goodman on 5th October, 2017. He got a copy of the story, promised to forward it to the sector minister but failed. He never answered my calls and messages (Whatsapp). 

Electoral Commission (EC)

Mrs. Charllote Osei, EC Chair 

Recently, the Electoral Commission (EC) has been bedevilled with some corruption allegations. I have concrete evidence to state emphatically that the EC is corrupt and Mr. Kofi Dzakpasu, head of communications at the EC is aware.

I forwarded some videos and link to him in October 2017. In the videos, some EC staff, including those at its Head office at Ridge, Accra have been collecting unofficial money ranging from Ghc30 to Ghc50 per person when a prospective voter had misplaced his Voter Identity (ID) card and wished to have a new card. 

And within few days or months, its office at Kasoa in the Central Region could get more than Ghc20,000 from this practice. It was petty, but bigger corruption in nature. 

When contacted, Mr. Dzakpasu responded “may be I am having some challenges getting your videos but it is all that I got. And it doesn’t tell me much about what you are alluding to and alleging".

"All the same we are going to study it and revert. I am very eager and anxious to get to the bottom and unravel this thing so if there are some more videos that I have not gotten please forward them to me”, he noted.

When new evidence was sent to him via WhatsApp, he reacted with the surprise emoji and added “Huh”?

“I have submitted to the Commission. The Commission will study it. Those involved will be invited for their side of the story and an investigation must be made. This is a serious allegation and as such we need to follow due process and those involved have the right to be heard”, he stated.

The most fascinating thing about Mr Dzakpasu is that when Joy FM's Corruption Watch aired and discussed the story on 10th January, 2018, he made the same comments the following day when he was interviewed.

After six months, the EC has failed to act on it and Mr. Dzakpasu has failed to answer my calls. He can never deny.

Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)

Mr. Joseph Wittal, CHRAJ Boss 

Finally, one would expect that a constitutionally mandated state institution, - the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), will be the last resort when I feel threatened.

However, my recent and first dealing with them has never been different from that of the aforementioned state institutions.

After I finished investigating "petty corruption at 

the Electoral Commission", I submitted my footages to the Tiger Eye Foundation and Klarity (anti- corruption campaigners). These groups forwarded my evidences and complaint to the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and it was subsequently sent to CHRAJ on 17th December, 2017.

I met with CHRAJ on 25th January, 2018. I discussed my evidences with them and gave them copies of my videos and receipt. They promised to do their own investigations and give me a copy of their report soon. 

The last time I communicated with CHRAJ on this story was after leaving their office, same day I met with them. Since then, I haven't heard from them.

The resulting effects of the failure of these institutions to take action will mean that the safety and security of the journalist will always be at risk.

https://www.modernghana.com/news/845397/the-hypocrisy-behind-state-institutions-mandated-to-fighting.html