Owula Mangortey writes: Abibata Shanni Zacharia of MASLOC provides a strict proof of President Akufo-Addo’s manifest failure to restore Security, Law and Order in Bawku!

 

Fellow Ghanaians, did you notice that Abibata Shanni Zachariah, the Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC)
provided you with
A STRICT PROOF OF THE MANIFEST FAILURE OF PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO TO RESTORE SECURTY, LAW, ORDER IN BAWKU AS AT 17TH AUGUST, 2023?

In a Press Statement of 17th August, 2023, titled “TEMPORAL (sic) CLOSURE OF BAWKU MASLOC DISTRICT OFFICE,” Abibata Shanni Zachariah wrote her analysis of the Security Situation in Bawku as follows:

“The attention of MASLOC has been drawn to some publications and misinformation in circulation in various social media platforms and websites suggesting that the temporal (sic) closure of the Bawku MASLOC district office as a deliberate attempt to deny the good people of Bawku access to its services.”

“The institution would like to inform the general public and its stakeholders that the primary reason for closing down of its Zonal office at Bawku was due to the INSECURITIES at Bawku which made the office non- functional.”

“Other government and business entities operating in the busy commercial town, such as the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), ABSA bank, Social Security And National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), and Judicial Service have been compelled to relocate to other parts of the Upper East region and some to the offices of the Regional Coordinating Council in order to protect the lives of their employees and guarantee the residents of Bawku are not put at risk in accessing their services.”

I thrive on risky, daredevil escapades. So from the day of the outbreak of the current Bawku conflict in November/December, 2021, I have operated in Bawku and consistently observed, monitored and documented Security and Intelligence operations in the Bawku general area and noted the following occurences:

SECURITY AND INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS IN BAWKU

(1). President Akufo-Addo’s government continues to spend ten (10) million cedis every month on the Bawku Security Agencies.

(2). The following Akufo Addo appointees and State Officials visited Bawku and initiated several interventions to restore security, law, order and peace in the Bawku general area:

(a). Ministers Kan Dapaah, Dominic Nitiwul, Ambrose Derry, Dan Kweku Botwe, Kojo Kum, Asamoah-Boateng, Stephen Yakubu, etc.

(b). Security and Intelligence Chiefs responsible for the National Security Secretariat, National Investigation Bureau, the Police, Immigration Service, Prisons Service, etc.

MASLOC OPERATIONS IN BAWKU MUNICIPAL AND OTHER FOUR DISTRICTS

Abibata Shanni Zachariah of MASLOC has only two members of staff stationed at Bawku Municipal Assembly. The two members of staff are responsible for MASLOC operations in the Bawku Municipality, the Pusiga, Garu, Tempane and Binduri Districts.

From 2018 till 17th August, 2023, MASLOC provided small loans to recipients as follows:

(1). Bawku Municipal
54 entities received 1,282,800 cedis and repaid 104,596 cedis.

(2). Pusiga District
15 entities received 352,900 cedis and paid back 65,983 cedis.

(3). Binduri District
7 entities received 147,100 cedis and repaid 42, 225 cedis.

(4). Garu District
14 entities received 296,100 cedis and repaid 32 458 cedis.

(5). Tempane
Strangely, in the Tempane District with comparatively low levels of economic and business activities, 77 entities received 1,925,000 cedis and repaid 141,425 cedis. Ofcourse, Dioka Kpemka, a former Deputy Attorney-General/MP for Tempane and current aspiring NPP Parliamentary Aspirant was quoted by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on 8th August, 2023, running his mouth that during his tenure as MP, the Tempane general area had the most number of beneficiaries under MASLOC than in any district in the Upper East and Upper West Regions!!

INDICTMENT OF PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO IN BAWKU

If INSECURITIES in Bawku are the main reason for closing down the Bawku office and relocating her two staff members to Bolgatanga, Abibata Shanni Zachariah ought to explain how she intends to recover the MASLOC loans from the Pusigsa, Garu, Tempane and Binduri Districts.

If INSECURITIES in Bawku are the primary reason for relocating the MASLOC staff in August, 2023 – some 21- 22 months since the outbreak of the current conflict – Abibata Shanni Zachariah has indicted our President in Bawku, through this provision of A STRICT PROOF OF THE MANIFEST FAILURE OF PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO TO RESTORE SECURTY, ORDER AND PEACE IN BAWKU AS AT 17TH AUGUST, 2023!

Fellow Ghanaians, we deserve an explanation and response to Abibata Shanni Zachariah’s Bawku indictment of President Akuffo Addo, from our President and/or the Security, Defence, and Interior Ministers!

I shall return.

Owula Mangortey
Bawku
18th August, 2023