Minister Caught Paying SHS Students To Transfer Votes Into His constituency

Featuring prominentlyin the illegal act, is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and Deputy Minister for the Region, Steven Siaka, who has allegedly connived with some headmasters of SHSs, to effectively execute the agenda to transfer the names of targeted students into the register of the area to enhance his chances in the December polls.

Interestingly, the management of the Legon-based Ideal College in Accra, has also been mentioned as one of the schools, where votes are transferred from to Awutu Senya West Constituency in the Central Region to aid Deputy Communication Minister, George Andah, who is representing the NPP.

But The Herald, has learnt that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, has vowed to resisted non-residents coming into area and vote

In Jaman North, The Herald was informed that six schools which are also out of the Constituency like Legon-based Ideal College, were involved.

The act of the NPP apparatchiks is similar to what was recorded during the compilation of the voters register about two months ago.

Mr Siaka, is not new to such maneuvering as during the voter registering, he was mentioned many times in the brutalities that were recorded in the region together with NPP Chairman, Kwame Baffour aka Abronye DC. They were accused of moving about with guns and other weapons, just to put fear in their political opponents.

The Constituency Secretary of the party,who doubles as a staff of the Jaman North National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Ebenezer Anane, was caught with documents exposing what was being planned in the dark in the open.

“The NPP Constituency secretary was caught real handed dashing out monies to these innocent students with his payment voucher in his hand. The documents attached are evidences of corresponding between one of the headmaster’s, the NPP and the district EC officer”, a source told this paper.

Among the intercepted documents was an introductory letter by the Headmaster of Diamono SHS to the Electoral Commission in the Constituency, informing the body about the intention to transfer votes of the students.

The brief, but straight to the point letter on the letterhead of the school and signed by Robert Kwabena Okrah, read “The following students are from the above named school who want to transfer their votes to Jaman North Constituency. Attached is the list of students”.

A sheet of paper accompanying the letter to the EC, had names of the students who want to transfers their votes to the Constituency. The names were Manu Emelia, Twenewa Sarah, Owusu Konadu Yiadom and Owusu Boame.

The rest are Michael Hayford Duker, Abdul Raman Hawa and Nketia Leticia.

Two payment vouchers dated 20-22/10/2020, had detailsof the students, including names, town, number/quantity, amount, contacts and signature, were all spelt out on the voucher. The payment document was captioned “Payment voucher on transfer of voters 20-22/10/2020.

The Herald, is learning this development is not peculiar to the MP cum Deputy Minister.

Some NPP MPs, are in low key perpetuating this agenda and it is all geared towards increasing their votes in the various constituencies.

The NPP is banging it hopes on mostly first time voters, who are mostly beneficiaries of free SHS, the main flagship policy of the government.

 

Source: The Herald