The National Secretariat of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has cleared the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Company (MASLOC), Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah of any wrong doing after malicious media publications targeted at her reputation. The Secretariat annulled the claims by a section of the media that the Deputy MASLOC Boss had distributed 'fake school feeding appointment letters' to some women in the Yendi Constituency of the Northern Region where she has declared her intentions to contest the Parliamentary seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party when nominations are opened. According to the National Operations Director of GSFP, Mrs. Doris Gaba and the National Coordinator, Dr. Kwame Adu Nsiah the letter issued by the GSFP on 15th November, 2018 preventing all new caterers from providing catering services to schools was a generic one sent to all MMDCEs in Ashanti, Eastern, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions and not directed at Hajia Abibata Zakariah. The GSFP officials viewed those media publications as lacking necessary crosschecking and serves as means to needlessly vilify Hajia Abibata Zakariah. WatchGhana.Com has gathered that the decision by the MMDCEs to restrain the women from taking up the catering jobs was influenced by one of the contenders to the Yendi Parliamentary seat who is a Senior staff at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council. It is believed that Hajia Abibata Zakariah has been in constant touch with the women in the area empowering them in diverse ways to become economically independent. She is said to have linked many of the women to secure loans from MASLOC and other sources to start their own businesses while others including the youth have received job placements with the help of Abibata Zakariah. A rejoinder issued and signed by the Deputy MASLOC CEO and copied to WatchGhana.Com suggests that those earlier publications against her were manipulated by her contenders who felt threatened by her achievements and growing close relationship with the people in the Yendi constituency. Below is the full text of the rejoinder: November 27, 2018 REJOINDER: FRAUD SCANDAL HITS MASLOC DEPUTY CEO I have followed with keen interest and utter disappointment the unsubstantiated and baseless publications from some radio stations, newspapers, online portals and social media platforms which sought to denigrate me and cause damage to my reputation. These media houses and their reporters in their hasty quest to satisfy their malicious agenda of dragging my image into disrepute have created the impression that I was ‘in hot waters following a massive school feeding fraud involving some women in the Yendi Constituency of the Northern Region’. This falsehood has been amplified near and wide by North Star and Bishara Radio stations both in Tamale on 21st November, 2018, and subsequently by Opera News, ModernGhana.Com on 23rd November, 2018 and Herald newspaper as well as other social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. I wish to state that such publications are completely untrue and have no basis, except that they are fabricated with the view to pushing the agenda of some self-seeking politicians who view my contributions of empowering the people of Yendi as a great threat. As members of the same party (New Patriotic Party) and obsessed with maintaining the seat mentality, we should all join hands in moving the NPP agenda forward. Allowing our parochial interests to supersede the party’s interest is not the best option. Dragging each other’s reputation in the mud as it is becoming the case in the constituency does not inure to the health of our great party. Those who know me can testify that attacking the integrity of others is not my style but suffice it to state that I did not issue or sign School Feeding Letters because I do not work at the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP). In fact, this publication is a clear demonstration of bad connivance with people to spread falsehood about me in the media. The little I have known about journalism is that one will be given the opportunity for his/her version to be heard to authenticate the claims. In this particular instance, the writers of this claim have acted against the core ethics of proper journalism – to provide adequate and factual information. I thus wish to correct this erroneous claim that I have issued some women with fake school feeding letters and to state in clear terms that; I did not issue or sign School Feeding Letters because I do not work at the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP). The letters that I lobbied for, and presented to the women were genuinely secured from the GSFP. My intention was to empower these women economically in order for them to be able to pay back loans given to them by MASLOC, since MASLOC loans are not for free. But my good intentions, generosity and desire to help my own people turned evil against me when some individuals connived with some DCEs to reject the letters from the women, because I declared my intention to put myself up for election when the party opens the nominations. I was left with no other option than to withdraw the letters from the women until I hear from the GSFP again. This simply does not make those letters ‘fake’ whatsoever for anybody to tarnish my image with. With all emphasise and fairness, I expect that your media organisation will apologise to me for conducting yourself unprofessionally and also give this REJOINDER the prominence it deserves in order to erase the negative impression created and to also heal the needless injury you have caused to my hard won reputation and the pain brought to my family as well as MASLOC. I cannot settle for anything less. I will not hesitate to institute legal action against you and your organization if my rejoinder is neglected or does not receive the needed prominence. Thank you. ...Signed... Hajia Abibata Shanni Mahama Zakariah Deputy Chief Executive Officer, MASLOCSource: www.watchghana.com
Continue with your good work my sister....enemies are not God...
Hajia Abibata no lies or propaganda can prevent you not to occupy the seat. The people of Yendi are seeing the good work you are doing. The jobs you are providing for the youth aswell as empowering our women in the constituency it's only God that will reward. And Insha Allah you are going to be the next MP for Yendi.
Yendi shall b a better place under her watch. In Shaa Allah.
Yendi shall b a better place under her watch. In Shaa Allah.
, December 09, 2019