Hospital manager sues NYEP Coordinator and three others

Dormaa (B/A), Sept. 13, GNA - Mr Fred Effah-Yeboah, General Manager of West-Brong Presbytery Health Service, has sued Kumi Acheaw Godfred, Dormaa Municipal coordinator of National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) and three others for making disparaging, unctuous and uncomplimentary remarks about him, at the High Court.

The three others are the Attorney General, the legal representative of the NYEP and the office of Dormaa Municipal Assembly.

A writ of summons issued by Nso Nyame Ye" chambers in Sunyani made available to severally general damages of GHc 100,000.00 as reparation for damage done to his character.

Mr Effah-Yeboah said that the defendants wrote and published two letters all dated February 14 this year and captioned: Difficulty in training health extension workers" concerning him.

Part of the letters read: The NYEP office finds it difficult to understand the behaviour of Mr. Effah-Yeboah 85. All to fulfill his political ambition as he contested in the primaries on the ticket of the NPP in Techiman North constituency in 2008, and has the intention to contest again in 2012, hence his attempt to sabotage this policy of the government to enhance the chances of his party, the NPP".

The plaintiff's statement of claim explained that the allegations in the letters are not only false and untrue but also malicious, mischievous and calculated to expose the plaintiff to public ridicule and contempt in the eyes of right thinking men and women in the community where he lives and works".

It stressed that the letters were written with the consent, connivance, concurrence and support of both the second and third defendants and they were widely circulated.

The writ of summons prayed the court to make an order compelling the defendants to render an unqualified apology to the plaintiff by retracting the contents of the two letters under reference by causing announcements to be made on FM stations in Dormaa Ahenkro for three consecutive times.

It also sought an order from the court to compel the defendants to write a rejoinder addressed to all recipients of the two letters.

The writ also called for perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from publishing any further defamatory materials about the plaintiff or any move what so ever that may contain the potential to damage the dignity and public image of the plaintiff.