Eunice Asomah-Hinneh and Togbe Afede XIV are both linked to the Council of State
By its composition, the Council of State’s clearly-cut out job is to advise the president of Ghana on national issues and as such, it is not one of those groups that usually engages a lot in public discourse.
Read full articleIn fact, for most of the time, matters of the Council of State hardly make headlines but in the last few months, there is no denying how much good and bad press some of its members have given news readers.
Below, GhanaWeb has put together are three major instances that members of Council of State have given news headlines in the last few months:
Togbe Afede XIV returns ex-gratia:
Known already to be a tough personality, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, and the Board Chair of Accra Hearts of Oak, Togbe Afede XIV, won a lot of plaudits for a bold step he took.
In a statement dated June 6, 2022, the former Council of State President offered an explanation as to why he was rejecting a colossal sum of GHC365,392.67 as ex-gratia for his service in the same capacity for four years – 2017 to 2020.
His rejection of the huge sum of money were for the following reasons:
- He thought the extra payment was inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work for which he received a monthly salary and was entitled to other privileges.
- He did not think his work merited the payment to him of the stated amount in addition to the salary he enjoyed from what was effectively a part-time job.
- He has a general abhorrence of the payment of huge Ex Gratia and other outrageous benefits to people who have by their own volition offered to serve our poor country.
On several social media platforms, many poured out to heap praises on and to commend Togbe Afede XIV for his brave act.
“Men with integrity and love for God and country are taking their rightful place,” one tweet said.
“Togbe Afede, leader who Walks the talk,” another said.
“Togbe Afede XIV! One of a kind,” one other said.
“We are left with 3 of his kind in this k3ntry. Whatttt!” a Facebook user added, and the list goes on and on.
Council of State orders RTI applicant to go to media house for requested information:
On the back of this, another news emerged of how the Council of State decided to respond to a Right To Information request made to it.
An aide to Togbe Afede XIV, Dr Elikplim Kwabla Apertorgbor, based on Section 21 of the Right to Information Act 2019, Act 989, wrote a request dated June 10, 2022, to the Council of State to request for information on “travel allowances paid to members of the Council of State from 2017 to 2019.”
The purpose of the request filed under the Right to Information Act, according to the applicant, “is to verify a claim made by Paul Adom-Otchere that Togbe Afede XIV was paid for travelling from Ho to attend meetings for the period he served as a member of the Council of State.”
Given a clear opportunity to express transparency, the Council of State sent a response dated Monday, June 13, 2022, to Dr. Apetorgbor directing him to rather seek his request from Metro TV as it (Council) had already made the requested information available to the media house.
“Please be informed that the information requested is readily available by another public institution, Metro TV, who requested for same on the 8th of June 2022 and have since put it into the public domain.
“Per provisions of Section 21, of the Right to Information Act 2019, Act 989, you are directed to contact Metro TV for the said information,” the response signed by the Finance and Administration Director of the Council of State, Stephen Blay, said.
This approach rather courted a lot of backlashes for the Council of State, same as the next and last instance the group has been in the news lately for.
Council of State member fished out by Special Prosecutor for corruption:
The Office of the Special Prosecutor retrieved an amount of GH¢1.074 million from a company that turned out to be owned by a member of the Council of State.
The amount from Labianca Company Limited, a frozen foods company owned by Eunice Jacqueline Buah Asomah-Hinneh, represented a deficit in import duties paid to the state, a report by graphiconline.com said.
This was revealed by an investigative report from the Office of the Special Prosecutor dated August 3, 2022, and titled: “Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption Related Offences involving Labianca Group of Companies and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority.”
According to the investigative report, Ms. Asomah-Hinneh used her position as a member of the Council of State and a member of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to influence a favourable decision from the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), leading to a reduction in the tax liabilities of Labianca Limited.
“The OSP finds that there is strong evidence to suggest that Mr Kyei’s decision to issue a customs advance ruling for the applicant was procured through influence peddling or trading of influence by Ms Asomah-Hinneh by employing her position as a member of the Council of State and member of the Board of Directors of the GPHA," the report signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, stated.
Following the above, an anti-corruption campaigner, Vitus Azeem, called on the Council of State member to resign from her position.
According to him, if President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is really committed to the anti-corruption fight, steps should be taken to ensure that Mrs. Asomah-Hinneh leaves her position.
“This Council of State member should have resigned by now. If the leadership, the President and his executive are determined to fight corruption, that should be the case,” Azeem told Accra-based Citi News.
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