The Western Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Moses Dotse Aklorbortu has accused chairman of Tobinco Group of Companies, Amoh Tobbin for allegedly offering bribes to some journalists in the region to vote for Albert Dwunfuor as GJA president.
Albert Dwunfuor who is with the Tobinco Group, is one of the three aspirants contesting for the position of the GJA national president.
The other two presidential aspirants are the editor of The Ghanaian Times, Dave Agbenu; and a journalist and communications consultant, Gayheart Edem Mensah.
Aklorbortu has therefore petitioned the election committee of the association to investigate and act on the allegation.
In the petition Mr. Aklorbortu alleged that Mr. Dwumfour “with tacit support from the Chairman of Tobinco Group offered members of the GJA in good standing in the region buffet and an amount of GH¢500 to vote for Mr. Albert Dwumfour”.
The petitioner further alleged that “Mr. Amoh Tobbin, in the said meeting at the Atlantic Hotel in Takoradi, told journalists to vote for Mr. Dwumfour in order to protect and promote his business”.
“He said during the previous administration (government), his business suffered under Mr Opuni and that he used the media to protect his interest. Therefore, voting for Mr. Albert Kwabena Dwumfour to become the GJA President will mean protection for his business interest.”
Journalists Reacts
Meanwhile, the Western Regional Secretary of the GJA, Zambaga Rufai Saminu has described as wicked and diabolical, attempt by Aklobortu to level bribery allegations against some journalists in the region.
In a counter-petition addressed to the same GJA Election Committee, Mr. Rufai Saminu denied that the said amount was meant to bribe the journalists to vote for Dwumfour.
“I want to put on record that all candidates who visited the Western Region gave transportation fares to delegates of the GJA who are in good standing. This was done through the Regional chairman”.
He said anytime other candidates visit the region and meet with delegates, in the area it was the Regional GJA chairman who took charge of collecting and distributing transportation fares to delegates.
“Unfortunately, in the case of Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, I was selected to facilitate the meeting, but because the regional chairman was not given that opportunity, he decided to attack the integrity of the candidate.
He asserted that later when he had the opportunity to give the transportation to all the journalists present at the meeting, the Regional chairman called him more than hundred times on that very day to receive his transportation fare.
He, therefore, noted that the impression being created by Moses Aklorbortu that Albert Dwumfour offered the journalists bribe is not only sheer wickedness but unfounded.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi