Hannah Bissiw Hits Back...Group Stages Demo For Her

A GROUP calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Tano South Constituency, yesterday, staged a demonstration at Bechem in the Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo Region to register their displeasure about calls for Dr Hannah Bissiw to be sacked. The group, mainly National Democratic Congress (NDC) youth believed to have been sponsored by the beleaguered deputy Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, was bused from Techimantia and Derma to Bechem. Dr Hannah Bissiw has come under intense pressure in recent times as members of an anti-corruption group, the Forum for Public Accountability (FoPA), recently called for her head over charges of corruption and abuse of office. The group filed a petition at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) against her. It also asked the president to relieve her of her post pending the final determination of the petition before CHRAJ. According to FoPA, Dr Hannah Bissiw, among other charges, received a per diem of GH�800 per week instead of the rightful amount of GH�200, further questioning the sources of her funding for the construction of her multi-billion twin-mansion at Techimantia in just three months. However, the Bissiw boys have stated that they want the president to debunk all the allegations levelled against their �idol� and rather praise her for working hard in ensuring the achievement of the Better Ghana Agenda. They therefore declared their unflinching support for her. �We the Concerned Citizens of Tano South Constituency have seen the immense contributions the Hon. Deputy Minister is making to bring President Mills Better Ghana Agenda into reality,� they stated. Chanting war songs in all-red attires and wielding placards, some of which read �No Hanna No NDC�, �God Bless Hannah�, �Still We Love You�, and �Hannah All The Way�, the demonstrators marched through the Bechem Lorry Station to the Tano South District Assembly and presented their petition to the District Chief Executive, Bukari Anaba Zakari, who promised to send a copy to the regional minister for onward submission to President Mills. The group later sent a copy of their petition to the Omanhene of the Bechem Traditional Area, Nana Ofosu Gyeabour. In the petition, the demonstrators said the allegations levelled against her �are calculated attempts to tarnish the image of the hard-working Hon Dr Hanna Louisa Bissiw, who has done a lot to bring development to the people in the Tano South District�. According to the spokesperson of the group, Emmanuel Kwame Frimpong, ever since Dr Bissiw made known her intention to contest the Tano South parliamentary primaries on the ticket of the NDC, her detractors had sought to bring her integrity into question. The group said it would not sit unconcerned and allow a certain group of people or individuals to use the media to satisfy their own selfish interest. The group catalogued about 20 projects that Hannah Bissiw had undertaken in the constituency in two years which included the construction of a constituency party office complex at Bechem, construction of sheds at Derma, Techimantia and Ankaase lorry stations, and the construction of a water project for Dwomo and New Brosankro communities. �The contributions and donations made are not from the District Assembly Common Fund but through her own resources and help from others,� the friends of Bissiw said in the petition. This emphasised the call by FoPA for an independent constitutional body to investigate the source of Dr Bissiw�s funding for the over 20 projects. From Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Bechem