The allegation the Chief Executive Officer of Holy Trinity SPA and Health Farm at Sogakope, Dr Felix Kwaku Anyah made against a Chief Reporter of Ghana News Agency has been found to be false.
An investigation conducted by the Agency showed that the story Dr Anyah complained about was transmitted to subscribers at 1930 hours on Monday November 23 2009 so there was no way the Chief Reporter could have killed the story if in deed he called him at 2200 hours on Monday to demand money.
In response to a query issued to the Chief Reporter he said: "I am surprised that a Medical Doctor of his standing could make such an
allegation."
He said he covered the launch of a Handbook on Tourism at the Kofi Annan ICT Centre, during which the Majority Leader in Parliament, Mr Alban S. K.
Bagbin, who was the Special Guest of Honour, said services at the Health Farm and some other hospitality facilities were poor. "He said waiters at the Farm appeared not to have been trained" and suggested that operators of hospitality facilities should endeavour to train their staff properly.
The Chief Reporter said on his return to the office around 1700 hours he wrote the story and submitted it to the Sub-Editors, who suggested that he should call Dr Anyah to get his reaction to the Majority Leader's statement.
He said he got Dr Anyah's number from a friend and called him in the presence of the Sub-Editors but the call was not answered, adding that the Sub-Editors insisted that he should try again so he called his friend again and asked him to give his number and name to Dr Anyah to call him. The Chief Reporter said his friend called back to say that Dr Anyah had refused to call him but had rather threatened to deal with whoever would write a damaging story about the Centre.
When the Sub-Editors were told about the threat of Dr Anyah, they decided to push the story, which they did at 1930 hours, having delayed the story for two hours and thirty minutes for Dr Anyah to react to Mr Bagbin's statement.
The Chief Reporter never spoke to Dr Anyah or any member of staff of the Centre.
GNA Reporters unlike other media houses are public officers performing their statutory function whenever they are writing stories. This fact should not be lost to anybody.
The GNA on Monday November 23, 2009 reported: "Mr Alban S. K. Bagbin, The Majority Leader in Parliament on Monday chastised operators in the
hospitality industry for poor working ethics.
"He expressed dissatisfaction about services at the Holy Trinity SPA Centre at Sogakope, in spite of the huge investment in the edifice.
"Mr Bagbin claimed that services at the Centre were poor whilst some of the waiters and waitresses have poor working ethics and 'walk away while you are talking to them'.
"'I have registered my concern to the Management to institute measures to train their staff. The service I and other Members of Parliament faced at the Centre was not in isolation. Most of our hospitality centres lack
trained staff,' Mr Bagbin said at the launch of the Ghana Tourist Guide in Accra.
"The Holy Trinity SPA and Health Farm offer various services including scientific relaxation and rejuvenation; vacationing; honeymoon; luxury
pampering; stress management; beauty therapy; professional counselling; adventure and detoxification."