Whistle Blowers in Danger for Exposing Corruption

The lives of three whistle blowers who exposed serious corruption and other dubious dealings at the Volta Regional Department of Parks and Gardens are in serious distress as their salaries have been frozen for over three months now.

The situation according to them have left them in debts, agony and constant want as their lives currently depend on the mercy, donations and gifts of friends and relatives that are usually inadequate.

Instead of being commended they subjects to constant assaults (both verbal and physical), isolation and deprivation at the regional office. What is more, they have been transferred for more than four times in less than two years while the culprits are still at post.

The three are Comfort Tedeku (Technical Assistant), Irene Akrobo (Principal Technical Assistant) and Enyonam Buaka (Chief Technical Assistant). Their last Transfer letter which they received from the Local Government Services Secretariat about a fortnight ago will be the second in two months.

The transfers many have found suspicious especially when Comfort has only eight months to retire while the other two are single parents. All three are currently finding it difficult to feed their children let alone pay their school fees. One of them, Irene Akrobo said as we speak, “my children are likely to drop out of school.”

Irene who has also been diagnosed for some medical complications including gastritis says “I am not able to adhere to my expensive medications and this is seriously affecting my health.” They therefore pleaded with the Chief of Staff, the President, John Dramani Mahama and other state institutions to look into the case and vindicate them since their lives were in peril.

Conspiracy

The predicament of these whistle blowers started over a year ago when they discovered and exposed some financial malfeasance involving the Regional Director who is also the Regional Landscape Designer, Janet Oboni, Samuel Armah, Accountant and typist Mrs. Missadzi Felicia.  

The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD) have in separate investigations confirmed that the three connived in fraudulently designing and issuing fake government receipt to clients who patronized services of the Regional Parks and Gardens Office.

Another investigation by the Economic and Organized Crime Offcie (EOCO) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) although yet to be made public have also confirmed this, Daily Guide sources claim.

Despite these glaring revelations the whistle blowers have rather suffered punitive measures including transfers while the transfer of the Chief culprit (Janet Oboni) has been revoked.

The Chief Parks and Gardens Officer, Nantogma Adam Wumbei in a letter confirmed the fraudulent act and added that he had ordered the audit investigations by the CAGD. He hence ordered the transfer of Regional Director and the accountant as control measures.

Regrettably, whereas the accountant complied, Janet Oboni refused to go to her new station (Aburi Gardens). The Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) incredibly supported Janet’s insubordination.  

The VRCC went on to order the transfer of whistle blowers; which the Chief Parks and Gardens officer also revoked. This led to fracas between the two institutions over who has oversight responsibility of the Regional Parks and Gardens Office.

The CHRAJ in its investigation report ordered the VRCC to keep off transfer of staff of the Regional Parks and Gardens office since it amounted to usurping the powers of the National Head Quarters of the Department.     

Frustrations

Several pleas and petitions to the VRCC on the transfer of the three whistle blowers have fallen on deaf ears. The Chief Parks and Gardens Officer had also directed them not to adhere to any transfer orders except the one from the National Office.

After several attempts by the VRCC, the Ho Municipal Assembly and successive regional Ministers, Afotey Agbo and currently Helen Adwoa Ntoso, the Local Government Services Secretariat (LGSS) has waded into the brouhaha.

Apparently oblivious of the full picture, the LGSS last June, 2014 ordered the transfer of the three whistle blowers to the Eastern region. A move sources close to Daily Guide at Secretariat alleged was influenced by the VRCC, but the VRCC has also denied that allegation.

Just a fortnight ago another letter from the same LGSS has reversed that transfer and re-assigned them to other districts in the region. The whistle blowers and officials of the some of the investigative bodies are in a quandary as to why the culprits are being retained at post while the whistle blowers are being mistreated.

Investigations

Investigation into the alleged fraud revealed that two receipts were illegally issued out of many others suspected, leading to about GH¢1,000.00 lost to the state. Investigations (Audit) by the Volta Regional CAGD and CHRAJ confirmed this.

The two reports of which Daily Guide have copies indicated that cases occurred in 2012 when the Department of Parks and Gardens in Ho performed a landscaping and designing job for the OLA Senior High School to the tune of GH¢1,960.00.

OLA paid in two installments of GH¢931.00 and GH¢940.00 respectively making GH¢1,871.00. An illegal receipt with receipt number A10/No.215021 was issued for the first payment while General Counterfoil Receipt (GCR); B10/No.6591962 was issued for the second.

Further investigations however showed that the total amount of GH¢1,871.00 was neither recorded in the cash book nor paid to the Public Account.

Another illegal receipt; A10/No.215025 covering the purchase of cane flowers by one Kafui (customer) at the cost of GH¢30.00 is purported to have been issued by Madam Janet Oboni, the Regional Landscape Designer.

The recommendations of the two statutory institutions found the three suspects, Janet Oboni, Samuel Armah and Felicia Missadzi culpable. While the CHRAJ report recommended they be arrested and prosecuted, the CAGD report recommended the three be made to refund the losses to the state.

The three whistle blowers, Comfort Tedeku, Irene Akrobo and Enyonam Buaka were commended for their bravery in exposing such underhand dealing which is suspected to have been orchestrated on many other occasions until their discovery.