November 27, 2018
REJOINDER: FRAUD SCANDAL HITS MASLOC DEPUTY CEO
I have followed with keen interest and utter disappointment the unsubstantiated and baseless publications from some radio stations, newspapers, online portals and social media platforms which sought to denigrate me and cause damage to my reputation.
These media houses and their reporters in their hasty quest to satisfy their malicious agenda of dragging my image into disrepute have created the impression that I was ‘in hot waters following a massive school feeding fraud involving some women in the Yendi Constituency of the Northern Region’.
This falsehood has been amplified near and wide by North Star and Bishara Radio stations both in Tamale on 21st November, 2018, and subsequently by Opera News, ModernGhana.Com on 23rd November, 2018 and Herald newspaper as well as other social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
I wish to state that such publications are completely untrue and have no basis, except that they are fabricated with the view to pushing the agenda of some self-seeking politicians who view my contributions of empowering the people of Yendi as a great threat.
As members of the same party (New Patriotic Party) and obsessed with maintaining the seat mentality, we should all join hands in moving the NPP agenda forward. Allowing our parochial interests to supersede the party’s interest is not the best option. Dragging each other’s reputation in the mud as it is becoming the case in the constituency does not inure to the health of our great party.
Those who know me can testify that attacking the integrity of others is not my style but suffice it to state that I did not issue or sign School Feeding Letters because I do not work at the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP).
In fact, this publication is a clear demonstration of bad connivance with people to spread falsehood about me in the media. The little I have known about journalism is that one will be given the opportunity for his/her version to be heard to authenticate the claims. In this particular instance, the writers of this claim have acted against the core ethics of proper journalism – to provide adequate and factual information.
I thus wish to correct this erroneous claim that I have issued some women with fake school feeding letters and to state in clear terms that;
I did not issue or sign School Feeding Letters because I do not work at the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP). The letters that I lobbied for, and presented to the women were genuinely secured from the GSFP. My intention was to empower these women economically in order for them to be able to pay back loans given to them by MASLOC, since MASLOC loans are not for free.
But my good intentions, generosity and desire to help my own people turned evil against me when some individuals connived with some DCEs to reject the letters from the women, because I declared my intention to put myself up for election when the party opens the nominations. I was left with no other option than to withdraw the letters from the women until I hear from the GSFP again. This simply does not make those letters ‘fake’ whatsoever for anybody to tarnish my image with.
With all emphasis and fairness, I expect that your media organisation will apologise to me for conducting yourself unprofessionally and also give this REJOINDER the prominence it deserves in order to erase the negative impression created and to also heal the needless injury you have caused to my hard won reputation and the pain brought to my family as well as MASLOC. I cannot settle for anything less.
I will not hesitate to institute legal action against you and your organization if my rejoinder is neglected or does not receive the needed prominence.
Thank you.
Signed…
Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, MASLOC.
