GNAT refutes allegations of corruption
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has described allegations of corruption levelled against the association by its Deputy General Secretary, Mr Kwadwo Awotwe Nkansah, as a ploy meant to tarnish the reputation of the association.
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Addressing the media at a press conference held at its head office in Accra yesterday, to react to the story published in an Accra daily, the acting General Secretary of GNAT, Mr Mawunyo Veni
Demanya, said the allegations were unfounded and was also a strategy by Mr Awotwe Nkansah to malign the association, after “his unsuccessful bid to become the general secretary of the association”
Mr Demanya also accused Mr Awotwe Nkansah of having three dates of birth - March 23, 1956, March 26, 1956 and December 20,1958, pointing out that his action was a ploy to delay his retirement.
Allegations
In the January 12, 2016 edition of The Finder daily newspaper, Mr Awotwe Nkansah, who is a Deputy General Secretary of GNAT in charge of Administration and Labour Relations, was quoted to have made several allegations of corruption against GNAT.
According to him, “there was gross mismanagement and corruption at the top echelon of the association and a deliberate attempt by former officials aided by current ones to cover alleged corrupt practices in the labour union.”
In a petition to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) dated December 7, 2015, Mr Awotwe Nkansah alleged that officials of GNAT purchased diaries and other souvenirs valued at GH¢4 million, but according to him, majority of the members of the association did not receive the items.
He also alleged that the association had dubiously paid $400,000 to Unique Insurance Company and also questioned certain foreign accounts of the association, which he claimed were shrouded in secrecy.
In his petition to CHRAJ, Mr Awotwe Nkansah called on the commission to assist the association to “expose, reverse and halt deep-seated corrupt practices” in the largest labour union for teachers in the country.
Baseless allegations
Mr Demanya, however, refuted the allegations and stated that all of them had earlier been investigated by committees of inquiry, whose findings had concluded that the allegations were baseless and false.
“For example, the I.K. Gyasi committee of 2005 and the Apanga committee of 2015 were both set up as a result of allegations of financial malfeasance levelled by Mr Awotwe Nkansah against top officers of the association. Their recommendations had been implemented by the association. So, wherein lies the truth that there is a clandestine attempt to cover up and thwart efforts to expose corruption in GNAT,” he added
With regard to some members not receiving their souvenirs, Mr Demanya indicated that the shortage was because the supplier was shortchanged by the company that produced the items but not “as a result of malfeasance on the part of anybody in GNAT.”
He further stated that GNAT had not paid any amount to Unique Insurance as purported by the Deputy General Secretary, and also denied his accusation that the association’s foreign account was shrouded in secrecy, indicating, “We have signatories to our account so how can it be shrouded in secrecy?”.
