Mahama Sakara
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has suspended the Sawla Tuna Kalba district manager, Mahama Sakara, who is accused of allegedly assaulting a nurse sexually.
The NHIA, in a statement from its Corporate Affairs Directorate, said the move was to allow for investigations into the alleged rape case reported by a nurse at the Soma CHPS compound.
“The district manager has been asked to step aside. The NHIA strongly condemns all the incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault and gender-based violence in our service. The code of ethics enshrined in our conditions of service abhors such behaviour,” the statement said.
The statement further assured the public that the authority had already taken action with regard to the petition.
Mahama Sakara has been battling a sexual harassment allegation from a nurse at the Soma CHPS in the Savannah Region.
The victim, Doreen Smith, petitioned the Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, through the Northern Regional Manager of the authority, on the issue.
The petition reads, “I write to inform and petition your office about an attempted rape and sexual harassment/assault on me, Doreen Smith, a nurse at Soma CHPS compound.”
The victim narrated that at about 9 a.m. on July 8, the district NHIA manager arrived at Soma CHPS on supposed monitoring duties.
According to her, when she and Mr. Sakara went into the facility, he started making sexual demands towards her even though she pleaded with the manager that she was engaged.
She disclosed that the NHIA manager struggled to forcibly have sex with her and in the process his fingers entered her private part but said in spite of that he could not have sexual intercourse with her.
Ms. Smith appealed to the authorities of NHIA to ensure that justice is served to deter other officers from engaging in such acts.
The Northern Regional Manager of NHIA, Mr. Issahaque A. Latif, told DAILY GUIDE that his office had received the petition and had since forwarded it to the headquarters in Accra.
“Yes, I have received that petition and once the destination is the Chief Executive Officer’s office I have equally forwarded it to Accra,” he said, adding that they are yet to receive a response.
The Sawla District Police Commander, ASP Degraft Armah Adjei, confirmed that the victim had reported the incident to them, adding that the suspect was arrested and granted bail.
When DAILY GUIDE contacted the suspect via telephone, he declined to comment.
FROM Eric Kombat, Sawla