Politics of Wednesday, 17 April 2019

Source: 3news.com

Over 600 NPP ‘foot soldiers’ pushed into BNI – Kpessah Whyte alleges

Former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Dr. Michael Kpessah Whyte Former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Dr. Michael Kpessah Whyte

Former Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS) Dr. Michael Kpessah Whyte has alleged that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has handed jobs in the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to over 600 party faithfuls since assumption of office in January, 2017.

He claimed a lot more party sympathizers have also been pushed into the Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, the Ghana Police Service and other forces, stating “the security service in Ghana is heavily politicised”.

“We [NDC] know of over 600 party activists that have been pushed into the BNI. We know that a lot of the vigilante boys and girls are being pushed into the police, into the security services across board,” he said, on TV3’s multiple award-winning morning show New Day.

Pushed by host Johnnie Hughes to disclose his source of information, Dr. Kpessah said the BNI itself is his source, urging journalists to make a follow-up if they want to authenticate the veracity of his claims.

“Go and ask the BNI officials and find out whether they have not been virtually coerced into recruiting over 600 party boys and girls,” he insisted.

He again alleged over NPP “5,000 vigilante boys and girls” have been sent to Asutsuare for training, a claim he said was validated by Double’s testimony before the Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission.

These allegations came up in a discussion about the seeming inefficiency of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) in responding to the needs of disaster victims, especially people who were affected by the floods over the weekend.



He observed NADMO is one of the many public institutions that has been politicised and inundated with people without qualification.

“We know that after they have been given power in January 2017, a lot of people who were working in the public service without even any party association whatsoever, but by mere virtues of their names were basically moved out or sacked or dismissed and new people were brought in place on party affiliation,” he claimed.

He advised a rigorous recruitment procedure be put in place to revitalize it.

“What requisite basic information do you have in order to be employed in NADMO and that must be the basics. Following that we must place adverts and let people who have those qualifications to apply and that is the only way we can save lives”.