ExLA Group demands the arrest of Sawla-Tuna Kalba NHIA Manager

The Steering Committee of the “Stop Rape” Campaign championed by ExLA Group Gender Programme and its partners has learned of an alleged case of sexual assault involving Mr. Mahama Sakara, the District Manager of Sawla-Tuna Kalba Scheme of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) in the Savana region.

We want to call on the Police Unit within the District to take steps to immediately arrest and interrogate the alleged perpetrator. Sexual assault is a criminal offence which cannot be countenanced in our country and so people like Mr. Mahama Sakara if found guilty should not be holding any public office, let alone be at post.

The victim, Ms. Doreen Smith, in a petition to the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA on 12th July, 2020 narrated her encounter with the Manager who was supposedly on a monitoring assignment of the CHIPS facilities within the District. She stated that instead of paying attention to his official duty, the Manager in question started making sexual demands of her which she would not listen. Eventually, he engaged in a struggle with her and found his fingers in her vagina but could not have intercourse with her.

Fortunately for Ms. Smith, she managed to record the incidence in audio which she attaches to her petition.

However, further interactions with the victim by the Steering Committee of the Campaign, reveals that upon knowledge of her petition, allies of Mr. Mahama Sakara thronged her house with threats and demands for the audio recording. She managed to flee her house and the region to protect her life.

The Steering Committee of the Stop Rape Campaign wishes to use this platform to demand justice for Ms. Doreen Smith and also warn close allies to desist from harassing the victim any further. Indeed, no woman must go through her ordeal. Sex is a choice and a woman has the right to say no to any man or woman who requests such of her.

Mr. Sakara Mahama has no right whatsoever to pester the life of her subordinate for sex, more so when the Code of Conduct for the Ghana Civil Service, Part IX, 33 (1) (2) (3) restrains Civil Servant from engaging in any form of inappropriate relationship that may lead to sexual favours and other relations to it.

We have already taken steps to report the matter to the Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service as well as the Gender Ministry.

Those who hold public office must act in ways that do not put the image of the offices they hold in disrepute, if not for their own sanity and dignity. Mr. Mahama Sakara did not respect his office and rather tried to use it as a bait to induce his subordinate into forced sexual intercourse.

We want to salute the courage of Ms. Doreen Smith for standing up to his Manager in the most fearless yet polite manner, and for calling him out through her petition to the CEO of NHIA. It was a very petrifying situation but she stood her grounds and we are proud of her.

We also want to make it clear that this is a case we are going to follow until the alleged perpetrator is brought to book. We are going to mount pressure on the appropriate authorities until we see results. The “Stop Rape Campaign” is a fight to restore sanity in our society with regards to the sexual narrative; sex is consensual, anything beyond that is a crime and perpetrators will definitely be brought to book.