[ 2014-09-15 ]

NHIA Clears Staff Over Assault
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has
said its preliminary findings show that none of
its staff assaulted a team of journalists from
Adom FM in Accra, as being touted.

'At no point were the media persons assaulted by
the NHIS District Manager or any of his staff,' a
statement issued in Accra by the Corporate Affairs
Directorate of the NHIA claimed ahead of police
investigations.

Adom FM's News Editor, Afia Pokua, and two
reporters, Kofi Assan and Nana Sefa, were said to
have been physically assaulted by the National
Health Insurance Scheme Manager, Israel Kwame
Aryeh, and other officials at the Ablekuma
District in Accra—an incident which has been
condemned by all media-loving organisations
including the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA)
and the National Media Commission (NMC).

The above media bodies are holding a press
conference today to deliberate on the recent
attacks on the media and media practitioners.

However, the authority admitted the police was
still investigating the incident, but said it was
compelled to set the records straight on matters
arising, a move which will clearly impede the work
of the police.

'The scuffle that resulted in bruises to Ms Afia
Pokuaa occurred between Ms Afia Pokuaa and a
member of the public who had come to the district
office for registration,' the NHIA claimed.

'In her own statement at the police station, Ms
Afia Pokuaa described the person she tussled with
as wearing African attire, which obviously was not
an office wear on a Thursday—the day of the
incident. The person could therefore not possibly
be a member of staff.'

'The incident happened in the full glare of
numerous witnesses from the public who had turned
up for registration,' the authority claimed.

They said they were putting out 'these preliminary
findings in order to correct the gross distortion
of the event that occurred and is gaining currency
in the media.'

The statement said; 'we maintain that should any
of our staff be found culpable for any acts of
violence, appropriate disciplinary action would be
taken.'

Following the incident, NHIA allegedly interdicted
two of its scheme staff and launched an immediate
investigation into the matter.

Source - Daily Guide

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