Ghana National Scout Under Fire

...World Bureau Orders Probe Into Visa Racketeering, Misuse of Funds

The World Bureau of Scouts has expressed reservations about activities of the Ghana National Scout, and ordered an immediate probe into their activities.

Some of the activities of the National Scout that are expected to be probed include visa racketeering, abuse of funds and human trafficking.

Chronicle investigations confirmed by official sources indicated that the National Executive of the local scout, based on request of the World Bureau in charge of international scouting, will set up an immediate probe into activities of the scouts here in Ghana.

Culprits found to have committed any illegal act, according to Mr. Isaac Arday, the newly elected national Chief Scout Commissioner, will be dealt with according to law.

In fact, indications are that they would be arraigned before court.

According to Isaac Arday, after the probe, another general meeting will be arranged where findings of the probe will be discussed and a decision taken as to which of the cases should be prosecuted.

He made it clear that as the Chief Scout Commissioner, he can not single handedly take any decision, because according to the Scout constitution, only a general meeting of executives and commissioners can take such decisions.

In recent time, there have been growing concerns about the dwindling image of the Ghana Scout as lack of discipline has taken the lot of most members.

The issue of indiscipline and neglect of members in the hinterlands, Chronicle gathered, is of paramount concern to the new executive.

The new Chief Scout Commissioner told Chronicle over the weekend that the immediate challenge facing his administration is indiscipline and marketing the scout to the general public to redeem its lost image, which hitherto was positive.

"When I heard the Deputy Attorney General mentioning that the trafficking of humans has been on the increase, and is lucrative, the very thing that came into my mind was that, scouts do travel out with boys and some of them allow these boys to escape. Are we also not involved in this sort of human trafficking?

So immediately my focus is on that point," he said in reaction to a question suggesting that the scout has been trafficking young people outside Ghana.

He pointed out that he would accept a Government probe to ascertain the intensity of human trafficking within the Ghana scouts, even though he hinted at a probe by the scout authorities themselves.

Chronicle investigations also established that there is currently a division within the local scout front as some past executives, including the immediate past Chief Commissioner Sam Wood, are reported to be in the bad books of some fellow commissioners.

Chronicle established that an earlier Annual General Meeting that was held on May 19, this year was declared unconstitutional by a representative of the World Bureau, who visited Ghana.

According to Chronicle sources, the World Bureau representative who ordered an immediate probe into activities of the local scouts movement also recommended that some commissioners should resign while others must lose their positions, based on allegations of misconduct and misuse of funds.

The local Scout constitution, according to Isaac Arday, will also be reviewed, as some articles in the present constitution are not clearly understood by members.