Re:GhanaWeb4good: Mother of 2-year-old boy at Paga-Nania suffering from ‘hole-in-heart cries for help

My attention has been drawn to a publication, both in print and video under the auspices of your platform (www.ghanaweb.com) which slights and injures my character and reputation. The said publication was done on the 27th day of July 2021 under the banner headline quoted supra.

In the said video, your medium interviewed one, Mercy Nabarese who is my estranged wife. The said interview was widely publicized, and afforded Mercy the opportunity to solicit financial assistance towards the treatment of our son, Newton Wejegedam Dakabila who has been diagnosed of a medical condition commonly known as hole-in-heart.

In the publication, Mercy intimated that ever since our son was diagnosed with the condition I have deserted and/or abandoned them. There is nothing farther from the truth than this. This allegation by Mercy Nabarese is malicious, ill-intended, wicked and a calculated attempt to drag my name in the mud, for reasons best known to her.

I shall, at this point proceed to give you a clear chronological account of events touching on the circumstances before, during and after the diagnoses of our son of the hole-in-heart condition.

I am presently a teacher with the Gonnum JHS at Mirigu in the Kasena-Nankana West Municipality of the Upper East Region. I was formally teaching with the Gwenia JHS at Chiana. Mercy and I have been married for about 3years now. Mercy is however a housewife.

Our son, Newton W. Dakabila was born to us on the 3rd of July, 2019. After his birth, it was apparent to us that all was not well with our son healthwise. We had therefore been in and out of hospital for the greater part of the first 6months of his birth. Our destination hospital was the War Memorial Hospital (WMH) in Navrongo. In the latter part of 2019, Dr. Kaburise of the same hospital thoroughly examined little Newton and opined that further examination and medical investigation of the patient be sought from a tertiary medical facility.

That we were subsequently referred to the Korle Bu Teaching hospital (KBTH) for further attention and investigations. I immediately mobilized funds and dispatched madam Mercy and our son to the KBTH in January 2020.

I also made arrangements for their lodging in Accra. They were thus received and assisted by my Sister, Lamicy Dakabila whose number is 0242846521. On this initial visit, mother and son spent about one month in Accra. I catered for and footed all expenses during this period. It was during this visit that little Newton was diagnosed of his condition.

In March of 2020, little Newton and his mum were due for medical review at the KBTH. On this occasion, I again bore the cost of their travel expenses, medical investigations and made arrangements for their lodging.

In September of 2020, little Newton and his mother were required to go back to the KBTH for another review. They spent about 3 months in Accra. All expenses were again borne by me. At this time, and upon request from us, the KBTH authored a letter for us that contained the diagnoses and the cost of treatment. The cost of treatment was pegged at USD 6000.

I had by this time ran out of the little funds that stood in by name as savings. But there was the need to raise more funds to continue to stabilize little Newton and sustain the family until the surgery required at KBTH was done.

The headteacher of Gwenia JHS where I was teaching at the time, Mr. Amang-yem Peter Aduah led me to one Mr. Asugbe, the local GNAT secretary for the Kasena-Nankana Municipality for assistance. Mr. Asugbe’s mobile number is 0203204335. The Kasena Nankana GNAT donated a cash amount of GHC 500 as their widow’s mite and promised to transmit our appeal to the GNAT head office for further consideration and attention.

Meanwhile, the staff and teachers of the Gwenia JHS where I was teaching at the time also supported little Newton with a cash amount of GHC 470.

At the beginning of the year 2021, debtors had begun tying the noose around me in search of their debt repayments. This, and the fragile condition of little Newton compelled me to contract a loan of GHC 3000 from the Teachers Mutual fund at 16% interest rate for health expenses and for our sustenance. This loan was contracted in April 2021.

In May of 2021, there was yet another need to visit the KBTH for review. As all my financial resources had been depleted at this time, I implored madam Mercy Nabarese to give me some time so I mobilize some money to send them off. She was offended by my inability to immediately provide for her as I have always done. From this period onward, the hitherto cordial relationship that existed between us as a couple had deteriorated to the point that I was sent to Coventry by her.

Mercy Nabarese unilaterally, without any provocation packed her bag and baggage and left the matrimonial home on the 14th of July, 2021. Before then, she disrupted and prevented any bonding and rapport between me and little Newton. She accused me of being responsible for little Newton’s condition. She accused me of being a wizard and employing Juju in an attempt to kill my own son. Nevertheless, my family made several follow-up visits to Mercy’s Father’s house in Paga to settle the unfortunate misunderstanding between us. This was of cause with my consent as tradition demands. It was after a third visit that I came across the said publication made by GhanaWeb.

While I was dealing with this psychological trauma and turmoil of the harsh and cruel treatment of Mercy, your platform published her spurious, biased, prejudiced and one-sided account. Your otherwise esteemed and international platform did not afford me the opportunity to be heard. Assuming without admitting that I had abandoned Mercy and little Newton, being an indigene of Nayagnia and living in the family house, was it not possible for your medium to corroborate Mercy’s account from the family house for a balanced report?

In the light of the above, I wish to state without equivocation, that your biased and one-sided publication referred to supra has bruised and injured my reputation very badly. That in the minds of right-thinking members of the public, I have been portrayed as an irresponsible parent and spouse to both little Newton and madam Mercy.

I am advised by counsel and I verily believe same to be true that by the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana 1992, I have a right to a rejoinder in respect of your publications referred to supra. For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to remind you that Article 162 (6) of the Constitution guarantees my right of a rejoinder. The said provision states: “A medium for the dissemination of information to the public which publishes a statement about or against a person shall be obliged to publish a rejoinder, if any, from the person in respect of whom the publication was made”.

I am, on the strength and authority of the above Constitutional imperative, demanding that you publish this rejoinder in the same medium that you carried your earlier publication.

I am also by this rejoinder demanding that you publish and exhibit this rejoinder with the same prominence that you did the one under reference.

I am advised by counsel, and I verily believe same to be true, that should you fail to publish my rejoinder, I have the right to haul you before the National Media Commission or to assert my rights in the court of law.

I am by this letter, requesting the publication of this rejoinder within seven (7) days of receipt of same.

Kindly find attached the patient referral letter from War Memorial Hospital, the letter from Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, and a copy of the said GhanaWeb publication.

Please be advised.

Dakabila Stephen

Gonnum JHS

Mirigu.

(054 0749896)

Castro Senyalah

Ghanaweb Correspondent

Upper East.

Cc: Municipal GNAT secretariat.

War Memorial Hospital (WMH), Navrongo.

Mercy Nabarese.

Head of Nabarese Family.

Head of Dakabila Family.

Watch video below: