RECRUITMENT SCAM HITS KROBO AREA

…… 58 people defrauded in excess of GHC 60,000.00

The arrest of a 32-year-old self-styled medical doctor and resident of Kpong in the Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region, Michael Hope Amunu, alledged to have defrauded unsuspecting youth mainly in the the Krobo area in a well patronized recruitment scam has sent the Odumase-Krobo township into a frenzy.

Angry residents largely made up of youth who paid various sum of money ranging from GHC 750.00 and 2,000.00 to the suspect, last Friday, besieged the Odumase-Krobo Circuit Court when new went viral about the arrest and prosecution of the suspect and his accomplices.

So far, 58 people of varying ages and background including artisans and students from different parts of the region and  also from Ho in the Volta Region are said to have paid in excess of Sixty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC 60,000.00) to the suspects in return for an enlistment into the security services, including the Armed Forces, Police and Immigration Service.

Background:

On Sunday June 19, 2016, one Patience Tetteh, a 31 years old resident of Nuaso, reported Michael Hope Amunu to the Korletsom Police for defrauding her and 57 others to the tune of Sixty Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty Ghana Cedis (GHC 60, 180.00) with the assurance of enlisting them into a security service of their choice.

According to her, she first met Amunu in November last year and they struck acquaintance/friendship which was to transform into marriage as proposed by the latter.

Michael Hope Amunu, the "Doctor"

She stated that in the course of their friendship and preliminary discussion on the way forward for the proposed marriage, she hinted Amunu- who posed as a medical doctor, with the name Dr. Dickson stationed at the VRA Hospital, Akosombo- about her failed attempts and frustrations at enlisting into the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

Amumu then offered to assist her through his father, one General Lieutenant Tamakloe Tsikata, a military officer stationed at the Flagstaff House.

Caught in the excitement over the prospects of enlistment this time round through the support of the suspect, she informed two other colleagues with similar ambitions, Ayer Divine and Collins Mensah, who each paid GHC 1000.00 in December last year to facilitate the process, while Patience herself parted with GHC 400.00.

The number of victims kept rising as news went viral over the new found “messiah”, Amunu. Sixty people subsequently paid between GHC 750.00 and 2,000.00 through a designated 0543... mobile money account (registered under the name, Tettey Kwame Bright), ignorantly assisted by Patience who was basking in the hope of a successful enlistment.

Two of the victims however, backed out later for reasons yet to be established.

Further detailed tricks:

By January this year, measurements were taken of all the victims for their uniforms and were assigned their protocol recruitment codes including the likes of ER/001/001 and ER/003/411 as sighted by the Daily Graphic.

They were also assigned their respective training centres where they were to report at a later date to be confirmed by the suspects.

A breakdown of the payment as narrated by some of the victims included cost of recruitment forms of GHC 50.00; medical examination fees of GHC 150.00, uniform fee of 100.00 as well as fees for tools which was pegged at GHC 150.00.

Others were costs for verification of certificates, GHC 20; General Knowledge Test, GHC 50 and ID cards of GHC 30.00, among several others.

Evasive tactics by suspects:

When in February this year, the road to their enlistment became hazy, fraught with suspicion, the victims including Patience started demanding a refund of their monies amidst incessant threats by the other victims to Patience who naively assisted them throughout the process.

Amunu became evasive from that point, would not pick his calls and could also not be traced from his residence at Kpong quarters.

Report and arrest:

Out of frustration and the constant harassment from the others, Patience on Sunday June 19, 2016 lodged a complaint with the Korletsom Police who tracked and arrested Amunu at his hideout at the residence of his wife, one Sarah at Nuaso (Kasimu lane) around 10:00pm on Thursday July 14, 2016.

He then pointed to an accomplice, one Theophilus Tetteh, 29, an Auto Sprayer who was also arrested at his residence at Nuaso Larteh.

On Friday July 15, 2016, the two were arraigned and remanded in Prison custody by the Odumase-Krobo Circuit Court to reappear on Friday July 29, 2016 because they couldn’t fulfill the bail conditions, granted on the plea of their counsel.

The court however could not sit last Friday when they made their appearance because the Presiding Judge was out on an official duty

Report from other victims:

Two other victims, Nomo Theophilus, a carpenter from Nkurakan and Narh Daniel, unemployed from Somanya also lodged a formal complaint with the Korletsom Police about similar experiences at the hands of the two suspects.

They indicated that Amunu and his ally offered to help them through the former’s father, a retired Army officer, to enlist into the Armed Forces. They were subsequently issued with a forged document bearing the inscription “Protocol Selective Medical Examination 2015/2016”, which they dully filled and returned to Amunu.

Upon such false representation, the victims became interested and each paid GHC 1000.00 as demanded by Amunu after which the suspect told the victims to report at the El-Wark Sports Stadium on Friday January 29, 2016 for screening and selection- what was to be a mere formality.

Subsequent payments of GHC 350.00 were each made through same mobile money account to cover the cost of medical examination, training equipment and ID.

When on the appointed date for the screening, the victims tried reach the suspects for further directives but they could not be reached through their hitherto active phone lines.

All efforts made to trace them failed, necessitating their complaints to the police.

Interview with the Police:

In an interview with the Police, the Korletsom District Police Commander, ASP Harry Selormey, confirmed the arrest and corroborated the narrative, indicating that investigations were still underway.

He stated that though Amunu posed as a medical doctor before the victims, he told the police in his statement he was a teacher but fell short of stating the school where he teaches.

A search conducted by the Police at Amunu’s residence revealed a number of (what looked 

like forged) forms of the various security services, mainly the Armed Forces, filled and endorsed by some of the victims.

Another one embossed with the coat of arms (at the top left) and the logo of the Ghana Health Service (top right) with the inscription “Protocol Selective, Medical Examination For Successful Recruitment” were also retrieved from his residence together with filled admission forms of some health training institutions such as the Ho Nurses Training School and another generic one from the Ministry of Health (Department of Nursing and Midwifery).

The case has since been adjourned to Friday August 12, 2016.

WIDOWER’S SUIT AGAINST MADINA POLYCLINIC IN LIMBO

Five months after initiating legal action against the Madina Polyclinic and four others over the death of his expectant wife and unborn baby, the case is yet to progress beyond the filing of defence by the Attorney General.

Though the Attorney General (AG) filed a defence statement on behalf of all four defendants including the Polyclinic, Ministry of Health MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) as far back as Thursday March 3, 2016, it was not until Bernard Otu, the plaintiff walked into the registry on Thursday July 7, 2016 that he was given the defense statement after five months of initiating the action. 

According to legal experts, the statement ideally was supposed to have been served the counsel for plaintiff and or his client immediately it was filed, but this was not the case, and no official reason has been assigned for the apparent delay.

Follow up

On Friday June 24, 2016, The Mirror which broke the story wrote in a letter to the Registrar of the Human Rights High Court, enquiring about the status of the case.

In response, the Registrar of the court, Mr. Stephen Afotey confirmed (in a letter dated July 5, 2016) that the defense statement was filed five months ago.

“A search conducted in the registry indicates that on the 3^rd day of March 2016, the Attorney General filed statement of defence for all the defendants herein”, part of the one paged letter of response read. The letter, however, fell short of explaining why the document was still gathering dust at the registry.

It cost the Mirror GHC 50 to get the response, which the court registry said was because the newspaper was not party to the case.

Plaintiff’s demand for the statement

The plaintiff, Mr. Bernard Otu displaying the statement of defence

On Friday July 8, 2016, Mr Otu, the plaintiff made a personal appearance at the Court’s registry to enquire about and demand a copy of the statement. It was only then that he was handed a copy, which he later delivered to his counsel, Francis Xavier Sosu Esq. of the F-X Law and Associates.

Interview with Counsel

When asked if the action and or inaction of the court (registry) was delaying the process, Mr. Sosu answered in the affirmative. “Those Clerks are derailing the course of justice for the poor man”, he stressed and added that “the statement should have been served the plaintiff as soon as it was filed”.

 The way forward

As counsel for plaintiff, Mr Sosu said he was going to file a reply to the statement of defence by Monday July 18, 2016 and would additionally file for direction of the Court which will help set the issues down for trial possibly after the legal vacation which runs from July 31 to October 2016.

Background to the story

Eight months after the death of the pregnant wife, the widower, Mr. Otu initiated a GHC 5 million suit against the Polyclinic and three others- GHS, MoH and the AG- for what he considers an act of “medical malpractice” which caused the untimely death of his 38-year-old wife, Cynthia Nuworsu and their unborn baby girl.

Cynthia, a trader by profession was off to give birth to her fifth child when she died of a ruptured uterus and breeched presentation, as confirmed by an autopsy report from the Police Hospital.

She died around midday on June 18, 2016 following an induction of labour the day before.

Characteristic of him, Francis Xavier Sosu, a Human Rights and Public Interest Lawyer took up the case on behalf of the widower in a determined effort to win the latter a compensation package and to ultimately cause a change in the supervision and overall improvement in the health delivery systems.

The case is presently before the Human Rights division of the High Court in Accra.

.

SCHOOLING AT THE WRONG PART OF GHANA- the sad tale of the pupils of Kpong Presby School

In the heart of the rather bustling town of Kpong in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality is a 52 year old deathtrap of a classroom block housing the Kpong Presby Junior High School.

As though a school in a typical rural setting, half the pupils in form one (1) sit on logs and a pile of wood (wawa boards) and write on their laps during classes due to the limited number of desks. 

There is a daily scramble over the few desks which are occupied on first-come-firsts served basis. Students who are unable to make it to school early enough to reserve a desk for themselves before class sessions either perch their colleagues on what should be mono desks or embrace the discomfort that comes with sitting on the improvised seat, a pile of wooden boards.

Academic work does not only grind to a halt at the sight of clouds (now a regular feature in this rainy season), because of the collapsing structure, part of which has been ripped off already, but the pupil numbering 129 return to school after every downpour to meet drenched desks and an ardours task of draining water from their classroom and drying the desks before classes begin.

As a result of the reduced contact hours and many such factors, pass rate in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has sunk to 15%.

Apart from the kindergarten block which was recently build by MiDA, the primary section which has a population of 219 is also housed in a decrepit structure built in 1957.

 

Designated danger zones within the classrooms

A number of the beams and rafters with which the JHS structure has been roofed have rotten and are loosely hanging on top of the class. Because of this, portions of the classrooms have been designated as danger zones where students have been barred from sitting as a measure to make room for the fall.

Sun rays also hit the class directly, compelling students to keep relocating along in the direction of the shade.

Pass rate in BECE

Academic performance is on a sharp decline year after year. In 2013, the school presented a total of 31 pupils for the examination and recorded 59% pass rate. The following year, it presented 28 pupils and had 35.8% and in 2015, 26 were presented and it recorded 15% pass rate, confirming not only a reduced enrolment but a noticeably sharp decline in academic performance.

In 2014, the best students left school with aggregate 28 while in 2015, the overall best had grade 30.

Two years ago (2014), the school came 49th in the BECE ranking of the 60 schools in the municipality and this further dropped to 61st out of 64 schools ranked in 2015, thus trailing a number of schools in the villages (typical rural communities).

Woes of the disabled pupil

Due to the unfriendly nature of the collapsing structure (which has no access ramp for persons with disability), 21 year old Zokli Isaac who rides in a wheelchair to school is hand-lifted in and out of the classroom by his able-bodied colleagues.

He told the Daily Graphic that due to the nagging feeling of being a burden on his colleagues, his movement is restricted and largely remains indoors once he steps into the classroom. He is often alone in the classroom during break because he prefers to eat in there rather than being carried in and out.

“It’s a daily and an unpleasant reminder of my disability, unlike my colleagues who move around unaided, but I am quite determined to complete school and move up”, he said.

Head teacher’s appeal

Briefing the Daily Graphic, the head teacher of the school, Mr. Prosper Elolo Adikpe said both teachers and pupils have become apprehensive, given the calamity that befell a sister school, Odumase Presby (which had a similarly weak structure) a couple of years ago, leading to the death of a pupil.

He indicated that letters have been served the supervisory institutions and stakeholders like the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Municipal Assembly and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) but to no avail.  

In the latest of such letters, sighted by the Daily Graphic, dated May 25, 2016 and addressed to the Chief Executive of the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly, copied to the Education Director, the school’s challenges including the state of the structure were enumerated.

The school has also extended its appeal to other firms and philanthropists including GHACEM Ltd. but none has yielded any positive result as yet. He called for a quick intervention to save the situation.

An old student’s intervention

An old student of the school, Dr. Stephen Manortey, Head of the Biostatistics Department of the Ensign College of Public Health, Kpong initiated the construction of a new unit but that has also stalled at the footing level due to what he described as the uncooperative posture from the church and assembly.

 He said he intended the project to be a communal initiative with all stakeholders coming on board to bring it to life. According to him, he’s contacted a philanthropist who has volunteered to roof it but sadly, the other players would not show any commitment in raising the structure.

“It’s sad to say, but I feel deflated”, he emphasized.

PTA’s involvement

A self-help initiative by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) to levy the former to purchase more desks has not helped either. Out of the over 100 parents who were each levied GHC 20 last year out of consensus, only two have paid so far.

“The school is seriously handicapped”, Rev. Joseph Akwetey, the PTA chairman told the Daily Graphic.   

Response from the other stakeholders

When contacted, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabie indicated that he had personally tried to intervene but realized the cost was too huge to shoulder alone. “I am looking at supporting with my social fund when approved”, he added.

While the Education Directorate didn’t seem to have an idea of the condition of the school, the Chief Executive of the Municipality was also not readily available to comment on the development.

Health hazard

The pupils and teachers are also caught up in the combined stench that emanates from a public toilet and communal refuse dump which are all located on the compound of the school.

They said their plight get worse during the rainy season because the poignant odour saturates the entire environment to compound their predicament. They are therefore appealing for a relocation of the two from the compound. 

Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxbFYKyO5aU 

REV. CHRIS BAAH NARTEY, THE YOUNG PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER TO KEEP AN EYE ONE

A smartly dressed Rev. Chris Baah Nartey

What makes him great, what truly separates him from others- is that he is the same man about whom everyone would tell you pretty much the same thing. His level of humility is startling; the warmth around him is soothing; similarly, his definition of philanthropy/fellow-feeling is comforting. 

 

Sometimes you are left wondering how God could deposit this set of qualities in one man.

He is generous to a fault. What is more amazing? He is not just as skilled a preacher and motivational speaker on the microphone, (as he is an accountant on the balance sheet), but also a charismatic and consummate soul-winner (and an evangelist), one who does “all” things just to win some for Christ”.

  

Like the Titan, he possesses this uncommon will power that has made him sprout and grow (from where others withered) into the huge potential he is today.

The Krobo Quill caught up with Rev. Christian Baah Nartey (CBN) to tell us about how he managed his way out from the small community of Somanya-Abokobi and blossomed into the charming, young and promising minister, a name on the lips of many. 

Birth and early life

When on Monday July 23, 1979 a shrill voice came piercing through the rather quiet neighborhood of Somanya-Abokobi (a lesser known Abokobi), it was that of a baby boy who came to be known as Christian Baah Nartey

The good news about the birth of this cute baby boy was soon to saturate the area, lighting the hearts of both parents with unimaginable joy.

Days quickly rolled into weeks and subsequently into month and soon baby Chris was up on his feet taking bold steps (a clear demonstration of his innate boldness that has brought him this far), giving his parents the signal that he was set for life’s journey.

Rev Chris (first on left roll) leading a "6 March" for his school

When "we were we"

His next home was the Ahamadiya Primary School where he first had the taste of formal education and from where he learnt, among others, to string words into the immaculate English he writes and speaks now.  

He displayed academic brilliance right from the onset, from Ahamadiya, through the Sra Presby Junior Secondary School (JSS), Somanya and latter the Yilo Krobo Senior Secondary School, also in Somanya where he read business accounting, leaving behind exemplary academic records.  

Further steps up the academic lather (Tertiary Education)

Propelled by his thirst for higher education, young Chris Baah Nartey headed for the Koforidua Polytechnic in 1999 and studied Accounting for his High National Diploma (certificate), munching any literature (book) on accounting within reach. He eventually graduated in 2002 after three years. 

"Small in bone, big in brain"- Rev (second from left on back roll) in a poss with some of his mates

 The making of a pastor

Building on his solid Christian upbringing and a long time ambition, he heeded the call for a more dedicated and, if you like, greater service in the Lord’s vineyard. 

And he was baptised into the Christian faith

He thus proceeded in 2006 to the Trinity Theological Seminary for formal training in that regard. After one year study/studies, he was awarded “Certificate in Ministry” with a special offer, an exemption, to read for his first degree within 3 years instead of the usual 4 years. This was largely due to his sterling performance in the certificate course.

In 2010, he graduated with a First Degree from the seminary and as one of the nine who pulled a 1^st class from a batch of over 70 seminarians/graduands. How else could he have justified the confidence reposed in him by way of the exemption?   

Rev. on the day of his graduation from the Union Presbyterian Serminary, USA

Last year, Rev Chris was recommended by the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) and awarded a scholarship by the Union Presbyterian Seminary, USA from where he’d been studying until early this month when he graduated with Masters in New Testament Studies. The scholarship is awarded once in every two years to one young, high-performing minister of the PCG.

Soul winning in practice

When the time came for practical soul winning (after graduation), he was posted on probation to his home presbytery, Dangme-Tongu, one of the 16 Presbyteries into which the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has been divided, and put in charge of a relatively young congregation- Hebron Presby at Nuaso, Odumase-Krobo- to nurture and grow in all aspects. 

Very few of his type and orientation/training (as ministers who play in the orthodox space), have the skill and, if you like the will-power, as he does, to locate and walk the middle ground between orthodox and charismatic worship. 

His is a bouquet of flavours; He has learnt to blend different flavours in his worship and ministry to appeal to both the young (youth) and old (aged) alike. What is more striking is that, while doing this, he still has his own way of dishing out to the typical Presbyterians a good dose of the conservative taste they yearn to have. That is yet another area in which he stands distinguished.

His background in accounting made him the obvious choice for the position of a Finance Director of the Presbytery, a position that hitherto was more of a preserve of senior ministers. Once again, he fitted perfectly into this role, seamlessly combining it with the rather demanding task of raising a congregation up onto its feet. 

Under his auspices as the minister in charge, the Hebron congregation grew in numbers and standing, taking up an enviable position in the comity of congregations in the presbytery. This came with a corresponding level of infrastructural development. The chapel was painted and furnished under his watch. A new, multi-purposed mission house/office complex also sprung up; the first floor has since been furnished and commissioned.  

Between 2010 and 2016, he turned the church into a well-known hub for spiritual growth, hinged on innovative programmes such as the Annual PrayerFest and what he named Jericho Blast, a seven day personal encounter with the Lord.  

Other bespoke and segment-specific programmes initiated and ran by him include the “Singles Prayer Summit” which has been running since 2013; “Men’s Power Summit” as well as “Winning Women” both of which have been on the rail since 2014.  

Interestingly, he didn’t confine his ministry to the four corners of his chapel neither did he remain a blessing to only Presbyterian. He’s spread his tentacle to cover other denominations including the Church of Pentecost, the Methodist Church etc. where he is often billed to feature. 

For four years, he’s also been on air (on Rite FM, a Somanya-based radio station), using radio as a medium to reach out to more and more people. 

Giving back to society

In the Dangme speaking areas in particular, the name CBN has come to be associated with generosity. Most people- the young and old alike- who one way or the other, have crossed path with him have “seen something of themselves”. He’s washed off his blessings to stream into and change their lives.

Within this rather short period of six years of ministry, he’s spearheaded a sponsorship drive to support about ten youngsters of the church to acquired tertiary education, with a similar number going into trade and business. 

His “Widows and Orphans Welfare Project” is fledging; thanks to this initiative, smile has been restored on the faces of some widows and orphans in his neighbourhood, including the children in the Nectar Home Orphanage at Nuaso, Odumase-Krobo.

Family life

Rev. Chris is the fourth of five children born to Mr. Emmanuel Kwesi Nartey, a retired civil servant and Mrs. Comfort Ami Nartey, a trader (now deceased) and is the older of the two males, preceded by three females. He is married to Mrs. Mabel Ayermle Nartey with whom he has four adorable girls.

Rev and Mrs. Nartey's four angels

The return of CBN

He returns to post better trained, more experienced and fired up to do more exploits; we can only expect him to set the place ablaze once more.

PICTURE GALLERY