Suhum: National Service boss commits suicide

• Posted on January 5, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Reports reaching us indicate that Lambert Ankansah, 45, the newly appointed National Service Scheme Coordinator for the Suhum Municipal Assembly in the Eastern Region, committed suicide at Somanya on Monday, December 29, 2014.

Information gathered that the deceased, a former tutor of Mount Mary College of Education, Somanya, has two wives and was appointed in 2014 to replace the retired Suhum NSS boss.

His body was found dangling on a mango tree close to his house in Somanya.

The deceased, as gathered, on December 24, 2014 joined his family at Ogmo in Somanya to celebrate the Yuletide with them.

A source told DAILY GUIDE that the deceased, who was among the suspected people involved in the NSS GH¢7.9 million scandal, was invited by the BNI to appear before them last Monday to answer some questions, but he was found hanging on a mango tree near his house early that Monday morning.

Police
The Akuse Police Commader, ASP Francis Ackah, told DAILY GUIDE that on that day the deceased took a rope and went under the nearby mango tree and tied it on one of its branches and allegedly hanged himself.

The police said one of his wives was going out to buy an item and spotted the lifeless body of her husband dangling on the tree and shouted for help.

ASP Ackah stated that the matter was reported at the station, whereupon a police team was dispatched to the scene to assess the situation, adding that the deceased’s body was sent to the 37th Military Hospital in Accra for post-mortem.

The police also confirmed that the deceased was invited by the BNI to appear before them on the day he committed the suicide, adding that they also gathered that he was traumatised by something and had been having sleepless nights.

BNI
The Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) last year arrested six regional directors and 27 district coordinators of the National Service Scheme (NSS) in connection with ongoing investigations into the GH¢7.9 million scandal at the scheme.

Among them were Nana Fosu Amankwa Agyapong, Eastern Region; Alhaji Shaibu Abiru, Northern Region; George Naanwinyelle Dasah, Upper East; Gabriel Nyorkeh, Volta; Michael Tottime, Western; Seth Asiedu, Greater Accra and the Kwahu North (Afram Plains) District Director of the scheme, Samuel Brempong.

27 Granted Bail
Meanwhile, the 27 district directors who were arrested were granted bail with two sureties each to be justified.

As part of the bail conditions, they were to report twice a week to the BNI.

The 27 were Emmanuel Asiedu Boafo, Kwahu West; Frank Akoto Acquah, Atwima Kwanwoma; Abdul Aziz Armah, Agona Swedru; Batholomew Hanny, Wassa Amenfi East; Regina Kyanoo, Lambussie Kani and Anastasia Zanoo, Ga South.

Others included Noah Kofi Boadi, Asante Akim South; Ali Issah, Bole; Gideon Kumase, Ga West; Joseph Kumah, Nanumba North; Alhassan Yahaya, Gushegu; Iddrisu Mohammed Gunu, Tolon; Siibu Mahama, West and North Gonja; Mohammed Abu Hanifah, Nanumba South and Iddrisu Adam, Karaga.

The rest were Hayford Bredzei, Ho; Alfred Mensah, Jomoro; John Sam, Asante Akim Central; Emmanuel Boafo Asiedu, Kumasi Metro; Jones Tannor, Tano South; Sulemana Alhassan, Asunafo South; Andrew Wak, Bawku West; Fidelis Bani, Hohoe; Seth Naorta Bekyire, Gomoa East; Godfred Hooney, Wassa Amenfi East; Benjamin Amponsah, Bia East and West; Mark Mwirii Jebuni, Saboba; Shaibu Malik, Mamprusi West and Shaibu Mbema, Gonja East.

Rot
According to a BNI report, investigators discovered that district directors of the scheme were the sole signatories to the accounts opened in the name of the NSS at the district level. Twenty-three directors of the NSS allegedly attempted to pay GH¢200,000 as bribe to BNI investigators to conceal the financial canker at the scheme.

The Executive Director of the NSS, Alhaji Alhassan Imoro, and five of his directors were last year ordered to step aside for investigations to continue, but two of his deputies have since been recalled.

FROM Daniel Bampoe, Somanya