¢249BN Blown Under Trees - In Cronyism And Corruption-Tainted Multiple Sourcing Contracts

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Created on Tuesday, 17 July 2012 00:00

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¢249BN Blown Under Trees - In Cronyism And Corruption-Tainted Multiple Sourcing Contracts

{sidebar id=11 align=right}When the Government of Ghana initiated reforms in the Public Procurement System of the country a few years ago, its main objective was to improve the overall public financial management and to safeguard the integrity of the public procurement system, but the way and manner some procurements are done in recent times, almost makes mockery of the reforms.

A new means of procurement, which has found expression under a “Multiple sole-sourcing,” which is non-existent in the procurement Act, and under which bunk beds and classroom furniture estimated at GH¢25 million for senior high and basic schools were procured, is beginning to raise eyebrows.

Under the system, companies owned by suspected gents of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration are hand-picked and given juicy contracts in order to return the favour, sources in the industry say.

With Mr. Samuel Sallas Mensah, former Member of Parliament and now Chief Executive of the National Procurement Board, the Ministry of Education has struck an alliance with the Board, under which the board has approved various requests for ‘multiple sole-sourcing’ for the supply of furniture to senior high schools across the country, and dual beds for basic schools.

A document dated 6th October, 2011, with the subject: “RE: REQUEST FOR MULTIPLE SOLE SOURCING SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF BUNK BEDS & CLASSROOM FURNITURE FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS AND DESKS FOR BASIC SCHOOLS” has come up for discussion.

{sidebar id=12 align=right}In that letter, the Public Procurement Authority gave approval to the Ministry of Education to use “multiple sole-sourcing method for the supply and delivery of …Bunk Beds & Classroom Furniture for Senior High Schools and Desks for Basic Schools at a total estimated cost of GH¢25,000, 000.00.” drawing backing from the Section 40 (1) (b) of the Act.

Section 40 of the procurement Act though, permits Single-Sourcing procurements under very strict conditions. The use of this procedure for procuring classroom furniture, which could otherwise be tendered to ensure a transparent process, has been argued as a possible abuse of the system.

Section 40 (1) states: A procurement entity may engage in single-source procurement under section 41 with the approval of the Board,

(a) Where goods, works or services are only available from a particular supplier or contractor, or if a particular supplier or contractor has exclusive rights in respect of the goods, works or services, and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists;

(b) Where there is an urgent need for the goods, works or services, and engaging in tender proceedings or any other method of procurement is impractical due to unforeseeable circumstances giving rise to the urgency, which is not the result of dilatory conduct on the part of the procurement entity.

Another striking element in this “multiple sole-sourcing” procurement is that many of the contracts were awarded entities outside the region where the items were needed, giving credence to a wide held perception that the contracts were given to cronies and National Democratic Congress functionaries.

For example, the contract for the supply of 750 pieces of bunk beds for the Likpe SHS, Bishop Herman SHS, Kpando Mawuko Girls SHS, Ho Zion College, Anloga Awudome SHS, Tsito – all in the Volta Region were awarded to a contractor in Accra.

Again, items needed in the Central Region found its way to a contractor in Hohoe in the Volta Region or up north. A typical example is the contract for the supply of 800 mono desks to Adaklu Anyigbe, which was contracted to a contractor in Wa.

The controversial distribution of the contracts for the procurements of items under the multiple sole sourcing has also raised the question of whether there are no competent entities within the individual regions to make the supplies.

A careful glance through the document also revealed that some supplies sourced from contractors outside the regions in which the items were needed, quoted higher figures.

For example, the Accra-based contractors who supplied 750 bunk beds to the Wa Islamic SHS; Wa Tech. Institute, and some senior high schools in Jirapa quoted GH¢200,625.00, whereas their counterparts who made the supplies in the regions in which the items were needed quoted figures ranging between GH¢196,875.00 and GH¢198,750.00.

Source: Daniel Nonor/The Chronicle

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Methodist Bishop Wild Over Murder Cases

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Created on Saturday, 30 June 2012 00:00

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Methodist Bishop Wild Over Murder Cases

THE RT. Rev. Dr. Kwaku Asamoah-Okyere, Administrative Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, has bemoaned the high rate of reported murder cases in the country and cautioned Ghanaians to turn to God for protection.

He said most Ghanaians are currently so overwhelmed by social-economic pressures and many they are taking their own lives and that of others around them.

“As Christians, we need to turn to God for complete security and have the zeal to intercede for others and for a serene environment,” he urged.

The administrative bishop made the statement in Accra while delivering a sermon at the cerebration of the 10th anniversary of the collaboration between the Methodist Church -New Achimota Circuit Tantra Hill, St. Peters Society at Mile 7 and the Crown Terrace Methodist Aberdeen, Scotland.

{sidebar id=10 align=right}The anniversary themed “Let Brotherly Love-Continue” was commemorated with the opening of a GH¢40,000 community library dedicated to the immediate past Presiding Bishop of the church, Rev Dr. Robert Aboagye-Mensah.

Rt. Rev. Asamoah-Okyere said the high rate of murder-suicides is an indication that the world is about to end.

“What people should understand is that Jesus Christ has the power to calm down every situation and control every environment,” he said adding that this could only be fulfilled on condition that people would have faith in him.

“I want to assure Ghanaians that the peaceful completion of the registration is an indication that there is a high possibility of a peaceful election” he said but called on Christians and Ghanaians in general to continue to pray towards the election.

Touching on the importance of evangelism, Rt. Rev. Asamoah-Okyere told worshippers to understand that there was a great reward associated with soul winning.

He announced that the church is sending our four full time ministers to the developed countries to work and win souls for Christ as part of an evangelism program.

The church he noted had realized that people have little time for Christ and the word of God in developed countries, hence the need for Christians in Africa to take the word of God there.

Resident Minister of the church, Very Rev. Philip K. Mintah, explained that the partnering of the church with Crown Terrace, Aberdeen had helped in training members of the girl’s fellowship and the church brigade in catering.

He noted the library would provide a refuge from the life on the streets, and become a place where young people would have access to books and afford them the opportunity to envision a better future.

By Stella Danso Addai

Source: Daily Guide/Ghana

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Akufo Addo Caused $1.5 Billion Galloper Debt...Prosecute Him - NDC

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Created on Monday, 09 July 2012 00:00

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Akufo Addo Caused $1.5 Billion Galloper Debt...Prosecute Him - NDC

{sidebar id=10 align=right}The governing party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is demanding the arrest and subsequent prosecution of Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accusing him of causing financial loss to the state for his role as Attorney General in the never-ending Galloper brouhaha.

A couple of weeks ago, a Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced in a state-run newspaper that Ghana might incur a whopping $1.5billion judgment debt for an alleged negligence blamed on the previous NPP government.

According to him, even though the NDC 1 regime under former president Rawlings inported some 110 Gallopers, when the NPP government assumed power in 2001, it ignored outstanding contractual agreements between the government and AAL; hence incurring a one percent interest charge, monthly, on the vehicles, with accompanying demurrages.

Out of the 110 vehicles, 23 were initially delivered and paid for by the NDC administration before they exited power in 2001.

The remaining 87 vehicles arrived in 2001 during the NPP administration which refused to take custody of the vehicles citing some irregularities pertaining to contract documents on the vehicles among other reasons.

Documents available to peacefmonline.com attest to the fact that lawyers for Africa Automobile Limited, W.A.N Adumua-Bossman Chambers, sued the Government of Ghana in a Statement of Claim dated 25th October 2005, seeking damages for abrogation of contract, breach of repayment of a Barclays Bank loan and an order to compel government to take delivery of the 87 galloper vehicles which was at the mercy of the weather.

{sidebar id=12 align=right}However, the NPP government, through the Attorney-General's (A-G) Department put in a counter- claim to recover the monies that had been paid to AAL in 2005.

Contained in the statement of defence dated November 22, 2005, and signed by Mrs. Dorothy Afriyie- Ansah, the Principal State Attorney, the Attorney General outfit then, apart from denying “each and every allegations of fact contained in the Statement of Claim…” by Africa Automobile Limited, prayed the court for the “Recovery of the sum of ¢8billion cedis, being payment made to the plaintiff to facilitate the delivery 110 Galloper 4x 4 Station Wagon vehicles under the First Contract, less the cost of 23 units already supplied.”

The Principal State Attorney also prayed the court for interest on the sum of ¢8billion cedis from the date of payment.

But the NDC believes this whole set of rigmarole and the 1.5 billion being demanded by AAL could have been avoided had not Nana Addo advised the then Kufuor administration to abrogate the AAL contract in the first place.

Indeed on Saturday, a deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, appearing as a guest on JoyFM's Newsfile, presented a 'contract' signed between AAL and the government of Ghana regarding the orders for the Galloper vehicles.

The said contract, was a letter signed by the then Chief Director of the Local Government Ministry, SY M Zanu acknowledging the presence of a proforma invoice submitted by AAL.

The Deputy Information Minister argues the 'contract' exposes earlier denials by the NPP and insisted they (NPP) should be held accountable for the claims being made by AAL, adding that the NPP owes the country an apology for the contradictions they have made on the matter.

Then on Monday, a member of the government's Communication Team, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, asserted that blame must squarely be placed on the NPP and the A-G at that time upon examination of relevant documents.

Speaking to JoyFM in an interview, he accused the NPP of deliberately refusing to honour their side of the bargain after AAL honoured the contractual arrangements.

More soon....

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

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Pratt To Boycott Peace FM

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Created on Wednesday, 20 June 2012 00:00

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Pratt To Boycott Peace FM

Managing Editor of The Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has threatened to stop appearing on Accra-based Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ morning show hosted by Kwami Sefa Kayi, if the station fails to recompose its panel members.

{sidebar id=10 align=right}Kwesi believed another co-panelist on the show and Deputy Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Awuku, who usually appeared on the programme with him on Tuesdays, was a nuisance to him and would therefore want him to be taken off since he did not feel comfortable when they were paired.

A source told DAILY GUIDE that Kwesi, an unofficial member of the NDC communication team, had been fighting tooth and nail to get management of the station and producers of the show to replace the affable NPP young man who seemed be a thorn in his flesh.

The Insight Editor had been lamenting about the Tuesday panel, asking the station to reshuffle it so that he could run riot as he had been doing on pro-NDC Radio Gold every Saturday.

Things seemed to have gotten worse yesterday when Mr Pratt and Awuku met on the show and he attempted to give new twists to a statement issued and signed by the Presidential candidate of the NPP wishing President Mills well on his trip to the United States for medical check-up.

Pratt claimed Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo meant mischief by his statement, with Awuku occasionally interrupting to express his disagreement since, according to him, Nana Addo did not only mean well for the President but also had good intentions towards him.

Mr Pratt complained to the stand-in host of the programme, Nana Yaw Kesse, in-between the show, about Awuku’s heckling.

Just after the programme, an obviously agitated Kwesi Pratt who, according to sources, engineered the removal of Alhaji Bature as host of Radio Gold’s ‘Alhaji and Alhaji’ programme and Ken Kuranchie from ‘Kokrokoo’ morning show on Peace FM, was said to have approached producers of the show in the production room, complaining bitterly and threatening to stop appearing on the show if they continued to pair them since he could no longer contain the young man.

“You people I’m going to stop coming for your programme if you people don’t change some of your panelists; bring Dan Botwe and the rest, don’t bring Sammy Awuku and these guys here,’” an obviously frustrated Pratt was quoted to have told the producers.

A source at the station confirmed that Mr Pratt indeed approached the producers of the show and made those complaints and that it was not the first time he had raised such issues about appearing with Sammy Awuku.

“He felt the quality was below his standard and would have preferred heavy weights like Dan Botwe,” the source noted.

It however appears management of the station is not likely to succumb to the whims and caprices of Mr Pratt since the choice of panelists, especially politicians who appear on the programme on a particular day, is determined by the various political parties and not at the behest of any individual who appears on it.

“So it’s not for him to tell us he doesn’t want Sammy Awuku to appear on the programme and that we should bring someone else or he wants this person to rather be on the show; no. It’s for the NPP to decide whether they want to pull Sammy Awuku off or let him still be on the show,” the source added.

It is however not clear if the NPP would bow to Kwesi Pratt’s demands and take Awuku off the Tuesday show to placate Pratt who has been singing the NDC’s praises.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu Source: Daily Guide/Ghana

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