NDC Thugs Chase Out NHIS Boss

THE SCHEME Manager of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at Dunkwa-on-Offin in the Upper Denkyira East municipality of the Central region was on Tuesday driven out of his office by club and machete-wielding thugs believed to be members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The NDC goons invaded the offices of the NHIS with cutlasses and other deadly weapons to move the Scheme Manager, Charles Ackom Hayford, out of the place.

The group, numbering about four, stormed the premises of the municipal office and asked the manager to get out or risk loosing his life. Not even a plea by the manager to pick his mobile phones and lap-top computer was granted.

They ordered all the other workers to follow suit, locked up the building with a new padlock and drove away in a waiting taxi. Due to the intensity of the threats, the workers left behind their bags, mobile phones and other valuable items.

The irate ‘machomen’, according to sources, locked up the place with giant-sized padlocks.

Ackom Hayford, who could not stand the threats, ran to the police station to lodge a complaint.

The sources disclosed that the NDC constituency chairman of the area, Dr Mark Nawany, was supposedly operating a private clinic, of which he was accredited with health insurance facilities.

An intensive auditing was allegedly carried out at his hospital and it was realized that he did not have qualified staff and had also inflated bills to the tune of GH ¢81,000 which made the authority abrogate his contract indefinitely.

This, according DAILY GUIDE investigations, made some supporters of the party hold an emergency meeting on March 6, 2010.

In the process of lodging the complaint, special aide to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the area, one Kwesi Dramani alias Kwesi Accratown, submitted the keys of the new padlock to the police.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that the police only asked Dramani to write a statement and he was released, an act which made the scheme manager wonder why the police were not able to detain the suspect.

Meanwhile, Ackom was said to have identified two of the persons that attacked him, while the MCE, Kofi Eshyia, was said to have also had a meeting with the staff, asking them to get back to work.

The Scheme Manager, Charles Ackom Hayford, told DAILY GUIDE that the assailants did not give any reason for the attack and declined to comment when asked whether he suspected any foul play.

Narrating the incident, he said he heard an unusual noise at the office’s reception but decided not to check because he was busy; but the thugs suddenly barged into his office and asked him to vacate the place.

Mr. Hayford said he complied but pleaded that they allowed him to pick his belongings; but one of them told him to move out or be killed.

The Scheme Manager said he had since reported the matter to the regional NHIS office for further investigations.

In an interview with a cross-section of residents, they condemned the behaviour being put up by some NDC members on issues relating to the health insurance and the School Feeding Programme.

Later, the Municipal Chief Executive, Peter Kofi Owusu Ashia toured, the offices of the scheme with police personnel and advised that the security apparatus within the municipality tightened up protection for the Scheme Manager at his private residence and at the work place.

The police were said to have mounted a serious search for the assailants and at the time of going to the press, only one person had been arrested and discharged.

From Sarah Afful& Frank Ossei Kwame, Dunkwa-on-Offin