Anas skewed Osu Children’s Home video – Social Welfare Department

The Executive Director of the Social Welfare Department, Stephen Adongo, is accusing ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, of skewing his Osu Children’s Home exposé to tarnish the image of the Orphanage.

According to him, the committee investigating the exposé by the investigative journalist that he believes the real motive behind Anas’ exposé is not to necessarily help the children of the home but to serve his personal interest.

Speaking at the first public hearing by the Committee of Enquiry on the Osu Children’s Home, Mr. Adongo alleged that Anas only wanted to portray the whole social Welfare institution in Ghana in a bad light.

The committee will hold two public hearing sessions. The first hearing was held today, September 23, whiles the next public hearing is scheduled for Thursday September 30, at the Media Centre at the Ohene Djan Stadium.

The 11-member committee was established by the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare as a result of a video footage on the improprieties at the Home and the Labone Remand Home of the Department of Social Welfare by investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper.

The Social Welfare Dept Executive Director was particularly unhappy about the way and manner the footage was arranged, and claimed some portions where distorted. However, the Committee on its part expressed disappointment in some of the positions the social welfare had taken.

The committee said, they had visited the home and were worried about some of the issues they encountered in the house. It was disheartening to see children locked in padlocks and bolts in the Children’s remand, for little offences.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in a quick rebuttal said he did not conjure anything because everything that happened was on film.

“If the things revealed in the film were skewed, was it me filming who skewed it or the people beating the children?” He questioned.

He fumed that the director had gotten the chance that is why he is saying all that but added that the hearing is at its early stage so he would not want to make prejudicial comments.

“What is clear between me and Mr. Adongo is that I was at the Osu Children’s Home while he was sitting in his office; it is very clear that he has always been seated on his chair in his nice office, and I have been in the home, so if he had also gone to the home, he could possibly have provided accurate evidence to support his claim that I skewed the video,” Anas stated.

He concluded that he is not a captain planet to skew someone to beat up a child neither could he have told a mother to beat up his child for him to film it.

“If I could skew things like that, I would have skewed all radio stations to be doing things so I can publish them,” he added.