Judicial Council investigates Dormaahene for banishing hospital administrator
The Judicial Council has set up a committee to delve into the banishment of a hospital administrator at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo region by the traditional authorities.
Advertisement
The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, who is also a High Court Judge known as Justice Daniel Mensah and stationed in Accra was said to have issued the order to the hospital administrator to leave or risk his life.
This was because the administrator, Mr Fred Effah-Yeboah, was said to have disobeyed his orders.
Following police advice, Mr Effah-Yeboah left the town after he lodged a complaint.
The incident which happened in February, 2014 has attracted the attention of the Judicial Service of Ghana which has consequently decided to investigate the matter, considering the fact that the Dormaahene was a High Court Judge.
Information gathered by Graphic Online indicates that an ad hoc investigative committee set up by the Judicial Council to go into the matter is chaired by Supreme Court Judge, His Lordship Justice Julius Ansah (JSC).
Other members of the committee are Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice; Nene Amegatcher, President of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA); and Mr Victor Gbeho, a retired diplomat.
The committee which has already commenced sittings is to delve into the matter and make recommendations.
Other Trending Stories
Some witnesses have already appeared before the committee, according to the information gathered by Graphic Online.
Background
The Daily Graphic in its issue of February 25, 2014 reported that the Dormaahene gave the order to Mr Effah-Yeboah to leave the town by Monday, February 24, 2014 at his palace when he sat in state between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Monday, February 17, 2014.
He was also said to have dissolved the Area Board of the Presbyterian Health Service in the Brong-Ahafo Region on the basis that he, as the Paramount Chief, ought to be the automatic chairman of that board.
He further directed that the Aduanahene of the Dormaa Traditional Area, Barima Yeboah Kodie II, should be the chairman of the Area Board in his stead.
When the Dormaahene was contacted by the Daily Graphic before the publication, he declined to speak on the matter, explaining that he would comment on it at the appropriate time.
Anger
According to a source at the hospital, the anger of the traditional authorities was stemmed from the decision by the Presbyterian Hospital to construct a new mortuary, instead of relying on the services of a mortuary which was built by the traditional authorities about 10 years ago.
It said by arrangements, the mortuary built by the traditional authorities was supposed to give part of its revenue to the hospital.
Unfortunately, after the arrangements had been respected for some time, the managers of the mortuary discontinued the periodic payment of revenue to the hospital.
Following the completion of the hospital’s mortuary in December 2013, the people of Dormaa and other communities began patronising the services of the new mortuary, instead of the old one.
The situation seemed not to have gone well with the managers of the old mortuary, who perceived the decision of the hospital to build a new mortuary without authorisation as a sign of disrespect to the traditional authorities.
No locus
The authorities of the Presbyterian Health Services Directorate in a response stated that the Dormaahene had no locus to dissolve the hospital’s board as had been constituted by the church.
The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) condemned the banishment of the hospital administrator and described the incident as “unfortunate and a worrying development for health care delivery.”
Advertisement