Government has punched holes into JoyNews investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni’s, latest exposé titled “Militia in the heart of the Nation” describing it as full of significant misrepresentations and misleading impressions.
Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in a release over the weekend averred that the work of Manasseh Azure Awuni was unfortunate as the promotion of the documentary and the narrative of the documentary stated emphatically that a “militia” had been uncovered training and operating at a “security zone” with the complicity of the current administration and identified them as belonging to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
However, the 20-minute documentary did not show any evidence of such a militia or vigilante group training and operating at this “security zone” but rather it showed a group of young men and women, dressed up in white shirts and black suits, converging at the Castle, Osu in the belief that jobs will be found for them, the Minister stated.
The statement reads in part that “From Manasseh’s own documentary, it is clear that the company is involved in helping unemployed young men and women find jobs, and operates a website that openly states their objects. Again, in their own documentary, officials of the company claim that the they are in the business of helping people find jobs, and encourage the persons who sign up for their services to avoid engaging themselves in acts that breach the laws of our country.”
Meanwhile, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has said it has not deployed any personnel to eject members of De-Eye Group from the Christiansborg Castle as claimed in a Joy News report.
“GAF wishes to state categorically that it has not deployed any soldier to the Osu Castle for the stated purpose,” a statement from GAF said Saturday.
Read the full statement from GAF below:
RE- SOLDIERS CLEAR OUT DE-EYE GROUP OVER JOY NEWS EXPOSÉ
The attention of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has been drawn to a Ghanaweb.com story with the above headline on Friday 8 March 2019. The story which was sourced from Myjoyonline.com alleged some officials from the Jubilee House in the company of soldiers have gone to lock up the offices of the De-Eye Group.
GAF wishes to state categorically that it has not deployed any soldier to the Osu Castle for the stated purpose. Indeed no soldier has been assigned to follow any official to the former seat of Government for such an activity. This allegation is completely false.
Once again, we wish to urge the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the GAF at all times. The office of the Director of Public Relations is always open to the media to cross check their stories before they put them out.
More so, the Minister of State in-charge-of National Security, Mr Bryan Acheampong has explained that De Eye Group, reported by Joy News in a documentary as a militia was not a “criminal organisation.”
In a social media post on Facebook on Sunday, Mr Acheampong said, “We did all the works and assured ourselves that De Eye group was not a Vigilante Group (truest form and interpretation), Militia, or criminal organization.”
He said National Security “did not classify or see their operation as a threat to the state and or government.”
According to him, the security apparatus “assured ourselves that De-Eye group was not a vigilante group
In his statement, Mr Acheampong said the security apparatus was “aware that Nana Wireko, alias Choman started his company from his former secretariat at the castle, where we warned him on two occasions and arrested him, threw him out of the office and shut it down in October on our third encounter with him”.
“It has not come to our notice that he’d had access to the office since. Their new office is located at Dzowulu. We are also aware that due to their extensive marketing efforts on TV, radio, website and their placement success rate, a lot of unsuspecting unemployed continued to visit the castle in search of De-Eye group.
Read below a copy of the unedited post by Bryan Acheampong on Facebook:
We did all the works and assured ourselves that De Eye group was not a Vigilante Group(truest form and interpretation), Militia, or criminal organization.
Importantly we did not classify or see their operation as a threat to the state and or government.
Indeed we are privy to every facet of their operations which primarily involves
1. Soliciting young unemployed persons
2. Writing to companies and agencies for job openings
3. Seeking to Place thier young unemployed clients into employment opportunities
4. Charging them a fee for their services
We are also aware that Nana Wireko alias Choman started his company from his former Secretariat at the castle where we warned him on two occasions and arrested him, threw him out of the office and shut it down in October on our third encounter with him.
It has not come to our notice that he’d had access to the office since.
Their new office is located at Dzowulu
We are also aware that due to their extensive marketing efforts on TV, radio, website and thier placement success rate, a lot of unsuspecting unemployed continued to visit the castle In search of De Eye group.
At NO time did we see these people conducting any training regime that we will consider a security threat.
We were aware of their end of year party at the castle gardens. But No one, nobody, seeing these innocent job seeking young men and women can conclude that they are a vigilante group or militia. In fact they don’t pass for a school cadet.
Those responsible for managing the castle lawn must answer why they allowed these people on their space. Since it’s no longer a security installation our interest ended when we determined the purpose of gathering and satisfied ourselves extensively that they pose no threats.
You can be sure, that we have the men, masked and unmasked to suppress any threat to our peace and security if indeed there is one.
