A-Plus apologises to Jinapor, Asenso-Boakye

In his latest video on Facebook, A-Plus said having listened to Mr Jinapor’s explanations, he had believed the two young presidential staffers were misled by uniBank.

“In fact, as human beings – today is Sunday, now my wife has been pulling me to church; today I’m going to church – I think that when you do something and you don’t do it the right way, if you want people to listen to you, it is very very important that you also come and say: ‘OK, I’ve noticed this, and, therefore, I think that my approach was wrong’. I said this on Joy FM and immediately Blakk Rasta came and said: ‘Eh A-Plus, you say people shouldn’t apologise.’ I never said that….

“I don’t expect everybody to like me…now that I have come to understand that Abu does not even understand the issue, I will go ahead like I’ve said already and say I apologise for how I put this whole thing out; yes, because listening to him [Abu]: he does not even understand the issue. People have lied to him. Look at what he said, if he was being honest on radio, I have the impression that he was being honest, and that is all that they told him, then they have deceived him…the issue is that every Ghanaian watching me today ask yourself how can we have a government institution that can’t tell how much money it makes? Today I am not fighting with anybody…” he said in the video.

“I think the fight should be over…all of us are looking for the best…after listening to Abu, I’m very convinced that he did not know that there is no system in place or mechanism in place to check or undependably tell what the leakages are and how much money the hospital makes …I will never sit here and say I am very happy with what I did. My presentation was very wrong…now it’s time; we can’t sit down. This issue must be solved,” he added.

He, however, served notice that he “will not stop talking…I will continue talking and talking and talking…I am here for Nana Addo, I am here for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). I am still a member of the NPP”.

This is the second time the musician has apologised to the two, having already rendered same during an interview on Joy FM few weeks ago.

Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor and Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye

Statement from KBTH

Meanwhile, the management of the KBTH has rescinded its decision to abrogate a contract with uniBank to collect revenue for the hospital.

A statement signed by the Head of Public Relations of KBTH, Mr Mustapha Salifu, and issued in Accra explained that the hospital had to rescind its decision to abrogate the contract with uniBank despite the glaring losses it was making and failure by the bank to rake in the necessary revenue.

After a long silence, the hospital finally spoke last Saturday on the controversial revenue collection system that put the two deputy chiefs of staff at the centre of corruption allegations.

The statement explained that the hospital’s decision to outsource its revenue collection followed a directive by the government in 2008 that all public institutions

should cede the collection of their revenue to selected banks.

With the support of the Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, the then Merchant Bank was selected for the exercise for the first time in 2008.

“Following a review of its operations, Merchant Bank’s performance was found to be below par,” the statement said.

That led to the abrogation of the contract with Merchant Bank and the selection of the HFC Bank, through a competitive process, to take over the onsite banking services in Korle Bu.

The statement said again in 2015, a review of HFC Bank’s operation was conducted and it was established that its performance was not meeting the requirements of the hospital.

It said that was communicated to HFC and the hospital began the process of searching for another bank to provide a solution to the chronic revenue leakages bedevilling the hospital.

According to the statement, six banks were shortlisted to undergo a competitive selection process in 2015.

The Stanbic Bank, it said, emerged first and uniBank was fourth. A decision was taken to select Stanbic Bank that was first and uniBank that was fourth to be responsible for the collection of revenue in the hospital.

It said when the hospital submitted the names of the two banks to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department for approval; it raised issues about weaknesses in uniBank’s operations in the two other hospitals in the metropolis.

Alleged interference

Earlier in the year, the KBTH opted out of an agreement it had with uniBank to provide a system for the collection of revenue but the bank petitioned the Presidency, leading to the alleged interference of the deputy chiefs of staff who were accused of corruption by A-Plus.

The two raised concerns about the manner in which Stanbic Bank was chosen ahead of uniBank to collect revenue on behalf of KBTH.

They argued that in the absence of a board at the hospital, due process was not followed in the selection of Stanbic Bank.

But A-Plus, who is acting as aide to Dr Anyah, descended heavily on the two deputy chiefs of staff, accusing them of corruption.

CHRAJ

Meanwhile, a pressure group has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to probe the two deputy chiefs of staff over corruption claims made against them.

In a petition to CHRAJ, the group, the Dynamic Youth Movement of Ghana (DYMOG), said in the light of the corruption allegations made by A-Plus, and the subsequent revelation that the police, which investigated the matter, might have covered up for the two chiefs of staff, CHRAJ needed to investigate the matter.

The petition called on CHRAJ to investigate and establish whether or not the claims by A-Plus were true.