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Before 2017, cocoa production was on a consistent rise for three consecutive years. Cocoa output reached its second highest in the 2016/ 2017 year after we recorded the one million tonnes output… Since this government took over, however, annual production has continued to decline with no sign of improvement.

Before 2017, cocoa production was on a steady rise for three consecutive years; it has declined since. 

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January 30th featured President John Dramani Mahama in a live social media interaction with Ghanaians. The third session of the #JohnMahamaLIVE series focused on the economy. It included a brief speech and a Q and A session where he answered questions from guests and social media users. 

As expected, the session garnered substantial media traction across platforms; boasting over 6000 and 3000 views on Youtube and Twitter. Facebook was not left out either, generating 135,000 views, 6200 likes and 1969 shares. 

However, what stood out were the ex-President’s claims regarding the cocoa. He attributed the gloomy state of the sector to the current administration; saying the production of cocoa beans declined when President Akufo-Addo’s government came into office in 2017. 

Indigenous Cocoa Production

Ghana is the second-largest cocoa producer in the world after Cote d’Ivoire. Together, the two countries produce over 50 per cent of the world’s cocoa. 

Cocoa production is a major source of employment and revenue for the country. The Ghana Cocoa Board estimates the sector offers employment to over 800,000 families in the country. It earns the country about $2 million in foreign exchange annually.

Verification

Cocoa production in the country has always been in fluctuation. It grew steadily after independence and slumped in later years owing to government policies and global events. In the 2010/2011 crop year, production reached an unprecedented one million metric tonne; thus forming a target governments aim at achieving. 

Fluctuations

Data from the International Cocoa Organisation, depicted in the graph below shows that indeed, cocoa production was on a consistent rise three years before 2017. It is worth noting, however, that this was after a major decline in the 2014/2015 crop year. Production fell from 897,000 tonnes in 2013/2014, to 740,000 in 2014/2015. Thereafter, it rose to hit 969,000 tonnes in 2016/2017, the second-highest cocoa output after the one million tonnes recorded in the 2010/2011 crop year.

Again, as shown in the graph, production has declined since 2017. From 969,000 tonnes in 2016/2017, production fell to 905,000 and 900,000 tonnes in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 respectively.

Cocoa Production In Ghana: 2012 – 2019

Source: Statista

We have requested information from the Ghana Cocoa Board on cocoa output for the years in question. This fact-check will be updated when we get a response.

The Ministry of Information last week launched a platform for reporting suspicious government social media accounts in the country in a bid to address the growing concerns regarding fake accounts. The government had earlier cautioned the public against fake social media accounts used to dupe the public.

The wave of fake social media accounts is not limited to Ghana. As of September last year, a total of 3877 fake accounts were detected with 78% deleted by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. 

The biggest social network worldwide, Facebook, removed 1.7 billion fake accounts in the third quarter of 2019 (July-September). This figure represents more than half the 2.45 billion monthly active users recorded by the company in the same period. However, Facebook detected and removed a vast majority- 99.7 per cent- of the accounts minutes after registration. This was timely as they hadn’t become part of the company’s worldwide monthly active users (MAU).

Facebook estimates that fake accounts represented approximately 5% of its MAU on Facebook during the second and third quarters of 2019 although some believe it could be around 20%.

Other social media networks, such as Twitter, which as of the fourth quarter of 2018 had 321 million monthly active users, have also tried to wage their own wars against fake accounts. In May and June 2018, Twitter suspended over 70 million suspicious and fake accounts. 

Why Should We Care?

The existence of fake social media accounts should be a concern for all because of the threat they pose to society and in extension democracy.

Inauthentic social media accounts have the ability to form rhetorics and influence public discourse through the spread of propaganda. Recall, during the 2016 United States elections, Russian agents employed fake accounts to spread anti-Clinton messages and to promote misinformation.

Fake accounts are also notorious for ripping targets off financially. Hopeless romantics are also fair game for fake accounts users. The prevalence of this is so sad it’s been termed- catfishing. Job-seekers also fall victim to fake accounts which promise them lucrative jobs in return for ‘registration’ and ‘transaction fees’. Note DUBAWA’s experience in this fact-check.

Additionally, perpetrators use fake accounts to boost follower numbers; numbers which are useful for online influencers who are paid for generating publicity for products and services.

But how can you tell if an account is fake? Here are a few tips to guide you:

• Fake accounts usually have few posts or updates
• An account may be fake if it has many updates but rarely engages with other followers or friends
• Fake accounts often solely promote a particular agenda, service or product
• A Twitter account which follows an unusually high number of accounts may be fake.
• You can also use tools such as TwitterAudit and Account Analysis to identify inauthentic accounts on Twitter.

To protect yourself from the threat of fake accounts, always…

• Check for the verification indicator if an account claims to belong to a high profile user, a reputable and well-known business or organisation. 
• Check the official website for more information
• Contact the person or organisation separately using contact details obtained from a source other than the suspicious account to verify a message or information from a suspicious account
• Always be sceptical when you receive a message from a strange or unknown accounts
• And report every suspicious account you come across

For more on identifying fake Twitter accounts, read this article by Poynter.

News outlets claim Nigeria has copied Ghana’s successful #Yearofreturn initiative and has produced the “Door of Return” program.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has disassociated itself from the claim with respect to the policy document in circulation. However, the Door of Return Program has been in existence since 2017. 

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Nigeria is being trolled by social media users in Ghana for allegedly planning its own version of Ghana’s Year of Return. This follows viral images suggesting the country intends to launch an initiative dubbed “Door of Return – Nigeria 2020” later this year.

News portals in Ghana have published reports of the purported launch.

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The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), which the policy document mentions as in charge of the program, has disassociated itself from the claim. According to a disclaimer issued by the NIDCOM via its Twitter handle, the policy document in circulation is not from the agency or anyone acting on its behalf. Neither NIDCOM nor the Federal Government of Nigeria is involved in any such program.

Nigeria, however, has a Door of Return Program that has existed since 2017. NIDCOM, the Lagos State Government, the African Door of Experience and the African Renaissance Foundation are responsible for this initiative. The most recent, the 2019 edition, took place from October 15-20 in Badagry, Lagos.

NIDCOM also stated its support for other African countries adopting this initiative; further dissuading any insinuations to a competition between Ghana. It rather commended Ghana’s efforts.

#YearofReturn

The government of Ghana’s ‘Year of Return’ campaign has seen significant success having added $1.9 million to Ghana’s economy. The Ghanian President launched the campaign in September 2018 to commemorate 400 years since the first batch of Africans were abducted from their homeland.

Conclusion

Although a Door of Return Program has been organised by NIDCOM, the Lagos State Government, the African Door of Experience and the African Renaissance Foundation since 2017, the document in circulation is not from the agency. More so, the Door of Return Program began a year prior to the Year of Return initiative; hence, it stands to reason that the former could not be imitating the latter as insinuated by the claim- which was misled by false advertisement NIDCOM has refuted.

WhatsApp message claims that tossing a baby in the air can cause Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Tossing a baby up in the air is unlikely to result in Shaken Baby Syndrome. Notwithstanding, it can be triggered if the baby has pre-existing health conditions.

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October was a special month as it marked the first birthday for actor and politician, John Dumelo’s son. He took to social media, sharing pictures of his family to commemorate the event. In one of the pictures, John Dumelo Jr is seen flying high in the sky with smiles on his face. His dad is pictured looking on, smiling.

This, however, did not go down well with some social media users who had mixed feelings regarding it. The lot claimed that it was life-threatening and a precursor for shaken baby syndrome.

But what is shaken baby syndrome and can tossing a child up high result in this condition?

Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is considered a form of child abuse that results from violently shaking an infant or small child by the shoulders, arms or legs. Traumatic Brain Syndrome, abusive head trauma or inflicted traumatic brain injury are other titles used to describe this condition. It is important to note that the act of shaking that leads to SBS is so violent that individuals observing it would recognize it as dangerous- enough to kill the child. 

Shaken Baby Syndrome can also be caused by throwing a baby against a hard object, by hitting them on the head with a hard object or forcefully dropping them.

A case for SBS

Shaking a baby vigorously is harmful because unlike adults, babies have very weak neck muscles and large heads compared with their bodies. This makes it difficult for them to support their heavy heads. If forcefully shaken, their brain moves back and forth inside the skull. This can tear blood vessels and nerves inside the brain and cause bruising, swelling, bleeding and nerve damage. Brain swelling may build pressure in the skull. This pressure makes it hard for blood, carrying oxygen and nutrients, to reach the brain, further harming it.

Adults will “adult” and babies will cry 

The most common trigger or incident leading to SBS is infant crying. Caregivers who are unable to deal with the incessant crying of infants may vent out their frustration by violently shaking them. SBS cases usually happen to babies less than two years. It is however commonest among infants age six to eight weeks as this is the period when they cry the most. This though is a perfectly normal behavioural development stage that all babies go through.

SBS Prevalence

Studies show that between 15 and 38 per cent of babies diagnosed with SBS in the United States lose their lives (Official figures for Ghana were not readily available at the time this article was written). Survivors may suffer long term damage such as learning and behavioural disabilities, seizures, and paralysis. 

Should you toss a baby in the air?

Tossing a baby in the air may not result in SBS. According to DUBAWA’s in-house health expert, Dr Tavershima Adongo, although there is a remote possibility that it can occur, no one has recorded SBS as a by-product of tossing a baby up in the air.

“Tossing up a child might not provide enough side to side force as vigorously shaking. But perhaps if there is some other weakness then it might occur” 

Doctor Tavershima

Other activities such as bouncing a baby on your knees, fall off a couch or furniture, jogging or cycling with your baby and sudden stops in a car or over a speed bump are also unlikely to cause SBS.

A number of blogs claimed that the Ghana Revenue Authority lost GHc 147 million cash in Head Office Annex fire.

No cash was lost to the fire, according to the GRA. Also, the story was originally published as a satire but was reported by other platforms without a caveat. 

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The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) lost GHc 147 million cash in the fire that ravaged its Head Office Annex at Circle in Accra. This claim was made by websites and blogging portals following Sunday morning’s fire.

It took a joint force from the Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Armed Forces at least six hours to douse the fire.

Verification

Our checks show that the claim was first published by News@7, a ‘satirical website’. It was rated a satire by the website. However, it appears other platforms and sites which carried and reported it almost verbatim missed the satire rating.  

The GRA has also denied the claim.

“No loss of life, cash or cheques was recorded,” it said in a press statement.

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The Boeing Company on Wednesday, November 19 announced that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between the company and the Ghana government for three 787-9 Dreamliner Jets. The acquisition of the aircraft is toward the re-launch of the country’s airline.

In response to the announcement, a section of the public have asked if the aeroplanes the country intends to acquire belong to the same family of aeroplanes responsible for the devastating crash which resulted in the death of all 157 passengers early this year.

No, they are not responsible… 

Our checks show it was the Boeing 737 Max 8 that crashed in March this year. The  Ethiopia Airlines carrier, which was flying from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya, crashed approximately six minutes after takeoff, leading to the death of all passengers who were on board. 

Following the accident, all 371 MAX fleet were grounded by the company and aviation authorities around the globe. Regulators in the United States, Australia and other countries suspended operations of the 737 Max in their territories.  The company hopes this will be reversed soon for commercial service to begin.

Here’s what we know about the 787-9 Dreamliner Jets:

The plane is a part of a family of three aeroplanes; the 787-8, 787-9 and the 787-10. It was first flown in 2013 and certified in 2014. The majority of orders for the 787 have been for the 787-9  with 498 deliveries made over the years. The first delivery made to Air New Zealand in 2014. Customers of the 787-9 include Air New Zealand, American Airlines and British Airways.

A Facebook post claimed that the Ghana Armed Forces are undertaking an electronic recruitment exercise.

The Director of Public Relations at the Ghana Armed Forces says the post and the Facebook page are both fake. GAF does not advertise recruitment on social media. They utilize the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times newspapers.

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A November 6th Facebook post claims electronic recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces is on the way.

Amongst other things, the post says people who had previously applied but were not shortlisted can reapply. Additionally, applicants who were shortlisted but failed to proceed beyond the screening and medical examination stages are also eligible to apply. The post included a phone number- purported to be the official number of the GAF.

#RedFlags

We noticed a few things were off prior to verification. First, was the medium used to advertise the exercise – a Facebook page. Although the page claims to belong to the GAF, nothing links it to the GAF aside from its name. Set up on April  5, 2018, with 27,111 followers, most of its posts are announcements of recruitment and enlistment into the GAF; suggesting it was primarily created for that purpose. 

Clearly not the first instance… 

Similarly, the GAF has on a number of occasions informed the public it does not advertise recruitment and enlistment on social media platforms. Instead, GAF utilizes the Daily Graphic and Ghanaian Times, Colonel Aggrey Quarshie- Director of Public Relations- noted via Whatsapp interview with DUBAWA.

“We don’t advertise recruitment on social media,” he said. He added that both the post and Facebook page are fake.

Our Unique Experience

When DUBAWA called the number advertised, an ‘officer’ who claimed to be Col. Aggrey Quarshie answered. He requested us to forward our particulars- Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and a West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE)- to the same number after which we will be told what to do. He further requested payment- GHc100- for registration forms and Ghc50 for a voucher (scratch card) to access the forms. This again is contrary to the official GAF application procedure. The said procedure still requires a purchase of a scratch card; this though, is for a PIN which leads to a more thorough process. And it certainly does not require you to forward your “particulars”.

CLAIM: News report claims that Ghana has been named the second most corrupt country in Africa by Transparency International (TI).

Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of TI, says the reports are FALSE. Turns out, the claim is a regurgitated version of a 2015 survey conducted in 28 countries by TI. More so, the latest edition (2018) of the Corruption Perception Index places Ghana as the 39th most corrupt country in Africa.

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A news report published in August claims Ghana has been named the second most corrupt country in Africa by Transparency International (TI) in its Corruption Perception Index (CPI). It further suggests Nigeria came third and South Africa, first. Other news platforms reported this as well.

This is not the first allegation thrown at Ghana in this regard. Following the release of “TI’s People and Corruption: Africa Survey 2015,” similar reports went viral in 2015. More so, the report failed to specify the edition of the CPI cited.

“Ghana’s fight against corruption has been dealt another setback after the country was ranked as the second most corrupt African nation behind South Africa”

the lead of 2015 media report read.

Regardless, TI denied the claims. Coralie Pring- Research Coordinator- for Corruption Surveys at Tl explained the premise. According to her, the survey was of 28 countries; thus was not representative of Africa.

Additionally, the survey was an opinion poll and not factual by any known metrics. It measured citizens’ perception of corruption in their countries and did not involve a ranking of countries.

Investigations by Africa Check also found the claim to be incorrect.

Verification

Findings show present reports are a reharshed version of a debunked 2015 claim. It is interesting to note the succinct similarities in both reports. These include the usage of the same percentage of citizens (71%); and the same sample size (28 countries) reported in 2015.

…about 71 per cent of people living in Ghana say corruption has increased over the last twelve months.
About 58 per cent of Africans in the surveyed countries, say corruption has increased over the past 12 months.

Claim Sample

“The corruption in African countries report by the Transparency International stated about 71 per cent of people living in Ghana think government is not doing enough to fight corruption…
… The majority (58 per cent) of Africans in the surveyed countries, say corruption has increased over the past 12 months. In 18 out of 28 countries surveyed a large majority of people said their government is doing badly at fighting corruption… ”

Original Report, circa 2015

So, it was not a surprise when Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) rebuffed the recent claims.

“GII wishes to unequivocally state that the said article is false. Transparency International has not issued any such reports and therefore GII entreats the general public to disregard the said article”

– a statement issued by the GII on August 20 reads.

DUBAWA went further to examine the content of the latest CPI, the 2018 edition, published on TI’s website– January 30, 2019.

The report measured the perceived levels of corruption in 180 countries and territories. Metric used were surveys (13) of businesspeople and expert assessments. Countries were scored from zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

Contrary to the claim, Ghana was not named the second most corrupt in Africa in this report. The suggestion that South Africa and Nigeria ranked first and third most corrupt countries was also not supported by the report. In fact, Ghana scored 41; South Africa, 43, and Nigeria earned 27 points. This earned them 39th, 18th and 41st most corrupt countries; that is, out of the 49 countries surveyed in Sub-Saharan Africa.

CLAIM: The government is giving out free, blood pressure monitors and Samsung Galaxy phones at government hospitals, interviewee claims.

FALSE: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and John Hopkins University are giving select participants the gadgets; as part of an ongoing research study to test an intervention in some health facilities in the Ashanti region. Hence, the initiative is not government driven; aside from ethical approval given by the Ministry of Health.

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Sitting on a bed with a smile on her face, a woman picks up a Blood Pressure Monitor and a Samsung Galaxy A2 and says:

“Nana Addo is giving out these (pointing to monitor and phone). I am surprised you say you do not know about it”

Video Excerpt

In the 5-minute video, the woman and the man who played the role of an interviewer heaped praises on the president and his government for caring for the sick and for improving the health sector.

The interviewee said a visit to Suntreso Government Hospital got her the touted gadgets. Apparently, she was told the government was giving out for free Blood Pressure Monitors and phones to patients with high blood pressure. This was part of the project the government was undertaking. Patients had to check their blood pressure and relay the results each morning to the hospital; through an application installed on the phones.

She also claimed the project is being undertaken only in government hospitals.

Verification

Our verification started at the Suntreso Government Hospital. Our investigation led us to the front desk officer, Foster; he told us that no such project was ongoing. However, he informed us of the ongoing collaboration between the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and the Suntreso Hospital. The initiative affords enrolled patients free blood pressure monitors and phones. We tried reaching out to the Public Relations Officer at the Hospital for more details; but could not get a hold of him/her.

Our next point of call was the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital; there we met the Head of the Public Relations Unit at Hospital, Mr Kwame Frimpong. He confirmed that the hospital was giving out blood pressure monitors and phones to patients; but only to selected patients who have been enlisted unto an ongoing research project. 

“Because they need to forward their BP readings to the project office through that phone. So it’s not like everybody you go and they give you a phone” 

Mr. Frimpong

Next, we met Dr Sarfo, a neurologist at the Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and lead investigator of the research project. He said the study is a collaboration between the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the John Hopkins University in the United States of America. 

“Currently, it is KNUST and John Hopkins but we have the blessing of the Ashanti Regional Health Directorate,” he said.

He explained that the objective of the study is to test an intervention to ascertain its feasibility in the Ghanaian setting.

“It’s a research study and for the research study, we are testing an intervention utilising a mobile phone and a BP device that patients can use at home basically and relay the information to clinicians to make a decision whether their BP is okay or not. So it’s a research study”

Dr Sarfo

The study is being undertaken in four hospitals in the Ashanti region:

• Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital; 
• Suntreso Government Hospital; 
• Kumasi South Hospital; 
• Manhyia Hospital.

The project commenced February this year and is expected to end in 2021.

“I saw the video and there is nothing factual about it. We are not just dashing mobile phones
“ You have to qualify – you have to be hypertensive, your BP should be uncontrollable and then we test whether the intervention will work”

Dr. Sarfo

Conclusion: 

The government is not giving out free BP monitors and Samsung phones as claimed in a video. KNUST and John Hopkins University are giving select participants the gadgets; as part of an ongoing study to test an intervention in some health facilities in the Ashanti region.

CLAIM: Dr. Omane Boamah claimed President Nana Akufo-Addo’s tenure has seen the price of fuel increase at least 22 times.

TRUE: Fuel prices have gone up more than 22 times from January 2017 to the time the claim was made. Data from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and Total Petroleum Ghana Limited support the claim.  

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We recall when quondam Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, claimed the President had increased fuel prices more than 22 times since coming into office; what’s more, he addressed President Akufo-Addo in an open letter.

On August 14, 2019, some media organisations including myjoyonline.com and starrfm.com published the letter. The claim also made a Twitter and Facebook appearance; amassing over 218 likes, 133 comments and 100 shares. 

“You have increased fuel prices more than 22 times since you became President”

Dr Omane Boamah

Well if you have wondered how true this assertion is, we address it today… 

Verification

Firstly, we contacted the speaker to ascertain his source. However, our messages to Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, went unanswered. 

Next, we turned to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA)- established by an Act of Parliament (NPA Act 2005, ACT 691) to regulate, oversee and monitor the petroleum downstream industry in Ghana. One of its core functions is to price petroleum products in the country. 

Interestingly, data obtained from the NPA on the average market prices of petrol and diesel shows that fuel prices had indeed gone up more than 22 times from January 2017 to August 2019.

Matter of fact, petrol prices have gone up a total of 31 times; between January 2017 and August 2019. As depicted in the graph below, petrol prices were increased 11 times in 2017, 13 times in 2018 and 7 times between January and August 2019. For diesel, prices were increased 34 times; 13 times in 2017, 12 times in 2018 and 9 times from January to August 2019.

Additionally, we contacted an Oil Marketing Company (OMC), Total Petroleum Ghana Limited, to verify the claim. The cost of petrol and diesel went up 23 and 26 times respectively over the period. It increased 9 times in 2017; 10 times in 2018; and 4 times from January to August 2019. Diesel prices also went up 11 times in 2017 and 2018; and 4 times from January to August, 2019.

Conclusion

The claim that fuel prices have been increased more than 22 times since 2017 is correct. Data from the National Petroleum Authority and our checks with an Oil Marketing Company, Total, corroborate the claim.