The bribery allegations leveled against the Executive Chairman of the Tobinco Group, Elder Nana Amo Tobbin, and the frontrunner in the upcoming GJA elections, Albert Dwumfour, have been described as “unfounded, despicable, and unethical” by the Western Regional Secretary of the Association, Zambaga Rufai Saminu.
The Western Regional Chairman of the GJA, Moses Dotse Aklorbortu, had alleged in a petition that Chairman Tobbin and Albert Dwumfour, who is also the Corporate Affairs of the Tobinco Group, had bribed members of the GJA in the Western Region with GHC 500 to vote for him (Albert).
However, in a counter-petition addressed to the GJA’s Election Committee, Mr. Rufai Saminu denied that the said amount was meant to bribe his members to vote Dwumfour when they met at Atlantic Hotel two weeks ago.
“First of all, I want to put on record that all candidates who visited the Western Region gave transportation fares to delegates of the GJA who are in good standing. This was done through him, ‘Angel Moses’ Dotse Aklorbortu.
“Therefore, his accusation that candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor gave money to buy the Journalists is not only sheer wickedness but unfounded.,” Mr. Rufai clarified.
Below is the full petition:
The Chairman
Elections Committee International Press Center
Accra.
16th June 2022
Dear sir.
Petition Against Unethical And Despicable Conduct Of Moses Dotse Aklorbortu__________
My name is Zambaga Rufai Saminu, Western Regional Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).
I am petitioning the Elections Committee of the GJA against the unethical, and diabolic conduct of Moses Dotse Aklorbortu, Western Regional Chairman.
I woke up this morning to see in the media a petition being circulated by Moses Dotse Aklorbortu in which he explicitly mentioned my name and resort to dragging my reputation in the mud.
I have forwarded the said petition to my lawyers to deal with the legal issues surrounding all the allegations made against me and members of the Association in the Western Region.
First of all, I want to put on record that all candidates who visited the Western Region gave transportation fares to delegates of the GJA who are in good standing. This was done through him, ‘Angel Moses’ Dotse Aklorbortu.
Therefore, his 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 these diabolic tactics deployed to gain fame and unnecessary attention. There was nothing unconstitutional carried out during the meeting. Unlike him, we are mindful of the ethics and code of conduct of the GJA, and will not do anything untoward.
Even when I had the opportunity to give the transportation to all the journalists, they did not call me to receive it, but he the petitioner, called me more than a hundred times on that very day to receive his transportation fare. I had to explain to him to give me briefing space because I was busy, until when I became free in the evening that i went to a drinking spot where he frequents with girls. As usual, he was there with girls, so I went there with two of my brothers to give him his transportation fare. I sat in the car, and he came for it.
Ordinarily, I will not have reacted to the whimsical statement, knowing that this gentleman is a serial petitioner, but the fact that the petitioner is questioning the integrity and credibility of all those who were invited to the meeting to listen to the vision and aspirations of candidate Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, and the accusations that the transportation offered, which he demanded and collected, was a form of bribe, clearly beats my imagination and all right-thinking members of the Association who were present.
This is a gentleman who was accused by Journalists in the region of collecting car tyres as a bribe from Zeal Environmental Technologies in the name of GJA, but members in the region later ignored it, and forgave him, but cautioned him against such misconduct for constantly using the GJA to solicit for goods and services for his private gains.
In the name of treachery, he mentioned in his petition the name of Chairman Tobinco and accused him of playing a role in the bribery allegations. The owner of Atinka Media group, who has over 100 journalists working with him, comes from Western Region. He visited Takoradi Technical University (TTU) for a university 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 diabolic.
The videos and pictures of the meeting being circulated clearly show chairman Tobinco in his TTU council attire.
At the appropriate time, I know members of the Association in the region will come out and address all the issues raised in the petition accordingly.
Signed………
Zambaga Rufai Saminu
Western Regional Secretary
GJA
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com
