RE: Jehovah couple disown son

"To keep abstaining from things sacrificed to idols and from blood..." - Act 15:29

We write as the legal entity that is responsible for the activities of the association of Christians known as Jehovah's Witnesses in Ghana.

Our attention has been drawn to the above news item that appeared on page 2 of the Monday, May 3 2010 issue of the Daily Guide newspaper.

The story was contributed by Ernest Kofi Adu, New-Edubiase.

We were surprised by some of the issues raised in the article and have since thoroughly investigated the matter and have come to the conclusion that the publication was biased, unfair, and slanderous.

The fact of the matter are that Kwabena Affum, associating with the Dwennama Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, about 30 kilometres from New Edubiase, initially took his five-year-old son, Japheth Asamoah to Ataase Nkwanta Community Health Centre but was referred to the New Edubiase Government Hospital.

On April 27, 2010, Dr Manye Mensah of the New Edubiase Government Hospital concluded that the child was anaemic and prescribed a blood transfusion. When Mr Affum, the father of the child, requested an alternative treatment other than a blood transfusion, the doctor invited the police, led by Inspector Baidoo, who arrested the parent.

The child was taken away by the medical personnel and transfused with blood.

When two elders of Jehovah's Witnesses, Kennedy Mr Odei-Awuah and Joseph K. Antwi, called at the police station to seek bail for the parent, they were informed by CID Inspector Awuah that based on orders received from Obuasi, he could not be granted bail that day. The following day, after sustained efforts, the District Police Commander, ASP Benson, approved the grant of bail-to Mr Affum.

Our concern is that:
(i) The Daily Guide report quoted the doctor and the police but made no mention of any effort to get in touch with M Affum, the father of the sick child who was placed in police cells, or representatives of Jehovah's Witnesses, who offered him assistance, for their side of the story.

(ii) The news item further gave the serious but wholly untrue impression that little Japheth Asamoah had been disowned by his parents because he had been transfused with blood. Nothing could be further from the truth since Mr Affum specifically assigned his grown-up niece, Salome Asamoah, to be at the hospital as caregiver throughout the child's hospitalization. Japheth's mother is nursing a new baby and could not accompany her husband to the hospital.

Additionally, even when Mr Affum was in police cells, other associates who are also Jehovah's Witnesses, visited the boy on a daily basis.

(iii) We can confirm that at the time of the publication in your newspaper on May 3, 2010, the child had been discharged and was already in the custody of his father. Therefore, Mr Affum never disowned his son and at no time was the little boy left in the care of Social Welfare officials as your newspaper erroneously reported.

(iv) Your publication sought to give the impression that a group of Jehovah's Witnesses stormed the hospital to forcibly present the hospital staff from treating little Japheth Asamoah, when you said in paragraph seven of your article that "some members of Jehovah Witnesses besieged the theatre room in a bid to prevent them from carrying out their professional duties." Is this an eyewitness account or a fabrication? We state categorically that this is completely unfounded and untrue.

In line with professional journalistic practice, you would agree that Ernest Kofi Adu, your reporter, should have verified information on hand for a fair reportage before going to press.

Jehovah's Witnesses are known worldwide to promote peace and do not ferment violence of any sort.

Your article is slanderous and has seriously dented our image.