Eva Lokko's Supporters Speak Out

A group of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) staff, calling itself the silent majority, has appealed to Government and the powers that be to ensure justice prevailed in the long industrial and legal stand-off between the workers' union and Miss Eva Lokko.

In a two-page petition dated January 7, 2007, and signed by a number of workers, the staff stated that there was an atmosphere of regret in the corporation's offices out of the realization that the former director had been wrongly accused by the workers' union, The group prayed therefore that she be re-instated to continue what they see as 'her good works'.

'The whole house of GBC has now regretted having allowed a few greedy individuals to deceive them.

We the silent majority of GBC strongly appeal to Government to put its feet down and ensure GBC re-instates Mad. Eva Lokko once the charges leveled against her have now been found to be untrue,' their spokesman said in an interview with Daily Guide.

The group contended that while the accusations leveled against her a year ago to the effect that she and some others had illegally withdrawn monies from the corporation's accounts at the Prudential Bank Headquarters in Accra had proved false, and the bank had paid the said monies back to GBC, her accusers were quiet over it.

They produced two documents dated April 20 and May 15, 2006, in which Mathews Consult, solicitors for GBC wrote to the bank, demanding repayment of "706,352,000.00 and accusing Prudential Bank of negligently accepting the six withdrawals that totaled the sum indicated.

Acknowledging, the bank, on May 23, 2006, paid back the sum in full into the corporation's account number 190006018, and subsequently notified the solicitors in writing.

'Why couldn't our airwaves, especially Television, mention this during news time,' the spokesman wondered aloud.

The petition catalogued a number of achievements allegedly chalked by Lokko while in office and counter claimed that a number of GBC properties were being misused now for selfish gains.

"In her absence now, cars meant for field work have been distributed for private purposes, which Mad. Lokko would never have agreed to," one among the group stated.

It would be recalled that barely a year ago, the NMC and Board of Directors of GBC asked the then Director-General to proceed on leave, following allegations of financial impropriety and forgery of cheques leveled against her by the Workers' Union of the corporation.

Before she handed over the keys to her office however, Ms. Lokko went to court, contesting that the NMC had no powers to direct her to go on leave.

Along the line, Eva attempted to return to office but workers? agitations were so high that she could not do so.

Events however took a dramatic turn recently when the union, upon a court order, broke into her offices and took inventory under the eyes of Mr. Duncan Williams, a High Court Bailiff.

But a few days later, Lokko's lawyers condemned the action and vehemently protested the break-in, as evidences could be destroyed.

An independent enquiry into the allegations conducted by the Auditor-General (A-G) virtually gave her a clean bill of health clearing her completely of any wrongdoing.

The A-G's letter, dated November 30, 2006 and signed by the acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Gertrude Aikins, stated: "Police forensic examination has revealed that the signatures on the forged cheques are not and cannot be yours, please".

Among those who signed the petition calling for the former D-G?s return to GBC were Evans Akpetemey, Twumasi Appia, Theophilus Oblitey, Antwi Awuah, Phebe Owarewaa and Baffoe Kusi.