De-Eye Group, the organisation at the centre of Joy News’ latest undercover documentary, has rejected the militia tag, saying it is a registered limited liability company with the sole aim of aiding unemployed people to get jobs.
“We are never a militia group. We are not a militia group. We cannot be a militia group, neither are we a vigilante group. We just want to help people get jobs and reduce the unemployment rate in the country,” the company secretary, Ms Tracy Asamoah told Ghanaian Times in an interview yesterday.
She said the group, currently with more than 5,000 members, has secured jobs for more than 2000 people – 500 at the Forestry Commission (for tree planting and other jobs); 600 in community policing; about 400 in the Nation Builders Corp (NaBCo) programme and others in other sectors.
She was reacting to Joy News’ undercover documentary dubbed: “Militia in the heart of the nation” broadcast on a number of its sister stations on Thursday, March 7, which described her outfit as a militia group.
The about 20-minute documentary by Manasseh Azure Awuni , said the group was affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and had been training at Osu Castle, the former seat of government since 2017.
It also established that the President, Nana Akufo-Addo was aware of the existence and operation of the group whose ‘Commander,’ is Nana Wireko Addo, also known as “Choman,” a former personal bodyguard of the President.
But the government on Friday said the documentary was misleading and a misinterpretation of issues, as the group was an employment agency while the President was not aware of its existence.
Although the Minister of Information, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, admitted that the group once had an office in the castle, it was closed down by National Security in October 2018. The NPP has also denied any connection.
Speaking on the operations of the group, Ms Asamoah said it collected résumés and other documents from prospective employees and searched for jobs for them in both private and public sectors.
It said aside holders of degrees and diplomas, the group; she said also assisted senior and junior high school leavers as well as persons looking for menial jobs.
She said when it was set up in early 2017, it was only assisting supporters of the NPP but opened up to sympathisers of other parties with the hope that the gesture would win them over to the NPP.
Touching on the use of the Osu Castle, Ms Asamoah said the company had one office there, which was occupied by Mr Addo, the leader of the group, when he was a member of a “task force”.
She said the office only had furniture, computers and stationery.
However, she said in October 2017, her boss, Mr Addo, without giving any reason said he had acquired an office between Ridge and Dzorwulu and asked them to move therein.
She said aside the end of year party held at the Osu Castle gardens, they had stopped using the place and that those found there occasionally were interested job seekers who were oblivious of their change of location.
Asked the nature of their meetings, Ms Asamoah said they did not learn weapon handling but they were given talks on discipline and preparing for jobs and also went for jogging on Saturday morning to keep fit like any organisations.
BY TIMES REPORTER