The Western Regional Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Zambaga Rafai Saminu, has petitiond the GJA Election Adjudication Committee, to investigate the conduct of the regional Chairman Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu.
Mr Rafai is calling on the Committee to investigate what he described as unethical and diabolical conduct of the latter.
This is after Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu petitioned the election committee of the association to investigate and act on the conduct of one of the three aspirants contesting the position of the GJA national president, Albert Kwabena Dwumfour.
In the petition, Mr. Aklorbortu alleged that Mr. Dwumfour “with tacit support from the Chairman of Tobinco Group of Company, Mr. Amoh Tobbin, offered members of the GJA in good standing offered each member seated(sic) [at a meeting], in addition to the buffet, an amount ¢500 (sic)to vote for Mr. Albert Dwumfour.”
The petitioner among other things alleged that ‘Mr. Amoh Tobbin’, in the said meeting at the Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi, told journalists to vote for Mr. Dwumfour in order to protect and promote his business.
However, the secretary for Western Region GJA, Zambaga Rufai Saminu, says all “all candidates who visited the Western Region gave transportation fares to delegates of the GJA who are in good standing” and was “done through him, ‘Angel Moses’ Dotse Aklorbortu.”
Therefore, he described the accusation that candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor gave money to buy the Journalists is not “only sheer wickedness, but unfounded.”
“He facilitated for other candidates to visit the region and when they met the delegates, even in my absence as Regional Secretary, he, ‘Angel Moses’ ( petitioner ) took charge of collecting and distributing transportation fares to delegates.
“Unfortunately, in the case of Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, I was selected to facilitate the meeting, but because he was not given that opportunity, he decided to attack the integrity of the candidate and myself.
“Secondly, his petition attempts to invoke constitutional clauses to back his selfish gains. Unfortunately, all delegates who were present, will attest to this diabolic tactics deployed to gain fame, and unnecessary attention, ” he stated.
According to him, there was nothing unconstitutional carried out during the meeting unlike Moses Dotse Aklorbortu because, they were very mindful about the ethics and code of conduct of the GJA, and will not do anything untoward.
The regional Secretary noted that he wouldn’t have reacted to the whimsical statement, knowing that the chairman is a serial petitioner, but did so amidst his questioning over the integrity and credibility of all those who were invited to the meeting to listen to aspirant, Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor.
Mr Dwumfuor is contesting with two other aspirants – The Ghanaian Times edito, Dave Agbenu and communications consultant, Gayheart Mensah.
Commenting on the accusations against Chairman Tobinco, he debunked it and explained that the former presence only coincided with their meeting at Atlantic Hotel.
“He visited Takoradi Technical University (TTU) for unia versity council meeting as Chairman and later retired at Atlantic Hotel with all council members to have lunch which coincided with our meeting with candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor.
“Then, he took advantage to explain to members his relationship with Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor as his brother and the role in establishing Atinka Media Group to support the media landscape.
“Therefore, to have drawn a man of reputation into this story is not only dangerous but amounts to sheer wickedness and diabolical” Zambaga Rufai Saminu.
