Two district assemblies in 500 million cedis deal
Agric Ministry caution tomato farmers against over-production
Tema car dealers ask for time to move to Kpone
Ensure effective fuel use policy, Tsikata
Minister to be nominated for Gomoa constituency seat
NIB donates 10 million cedis towards parliamentary confab
African Automobile is not against unionisation of Workers, GM
Road Fund to support trunk road maintenance
Two district assemblies in 500 million cedis deal
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 July ’99
A 500 million cedis fraudulent financial deal, involving two District Assemblies and the Controller and Accountant-General's Department has been busted by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
The assemblies involved are the Jomoro and Shama-Ahanta East Metropolis.
The SFO started the investigation last year after it probed at the Jomoro District Assembly Finance Office.
Mr. Bright A. Sapati, Acting Executive Director, said in Accra on Wednesday that during the Jomoro nvestigations, the SFO became suspicious because there was evidence that the incidence of such fraud could be extensive.
"We then took a look into the Shama-Ahanta East Metropolitan Assembly Finance Office", he said.
Mr. Sapati said in October last year, Mr. G.A. Opoku, Metropolitan Finance Officer, applied to the Controller and Accountant-General's (CAG) Department for additional expenditure authorisation to enable him to service commitments of various institutions and departments under the metropolis.
"He, therefore, made provision in his application to enable the treasury to continue to service them but did not indicate the departments to which these provisions were meant for".
Mr. Sapati said, based on these, Mr. Opoku obtained additional expenditure authorisation for 1.154 billion cedis in November 1998 from CAG.
He said in March this year when the finance office balanced its books, Mr. Opoku realised that the assembly had not utilised all the money approved.
Mr. Sapati said Opoku subsequently contacted the accountant and the hospital administrator of Takoradi government hospital, Joseph Adjei and Seth Boadu to obtain fictitious invoices for the supply of items upon which payment vouchers were raised.
"On the strength of the bogus invoices, cheques totalling 94.9 million cedis were issued and the money shared among the metropolitan finance officer, the hospital accountant, the administrator and the suppliers."
The SFO boss said "Mr. Opoku did not end there"; he made another contact with Mr. Baba Atiku, Accountant of the Islamic Unit of the Ghana Education Service, who also through similar means, obtained fictitious documents and succeeded in cashing 83.8 million cedis which was handed over to Mr. Opoku.
"In all cases, the sharing ratio was treasury staff 45 per cent, educational unit and hospital 30 per cent; accounting officers in controller and accountant-general's office 15 per cent; suppliers 10 per cent and five per cent for other related staff".
These amounts ended up in private pockets and no item was ever supplied.
Mr. Sapati said the investigations revealed that Mr. Ernest Wilson, an employee of the Controller and Accountant-General's Department in Accra, who helped Mr. Opoku to approve the expenditure authorisation, had 30 million cedis as his share of the booty.
Mr. Sapati said in all, 178,742,930 cedis were involved in the malpractice.
He said, however, that the SFO has succeeded in recovering all the money back to government chest.
He said the SFO is alarmed at this pattern of fraud and will continue its investigations and ensure that all such deals are eliminated or brought to the barest minimum.
Mr. Sapati said this is the second time such rackets have been busted in the Western Region.
"The total amount involved in only two of the district assemblies is 451.8 million cedis out of which 353.5 million cedis has so far been retrieved.
"It is a sad commentary that district finance officers who should act as control functions in financial probity at the district levels are now catalysing the perpetration of fraud in the districts."
He noted that the officers involved have been interdicted and would prosecuted.
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Agric Ministry cuation tomato farmers against over-produced
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 July ’99
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) on Wednesday confirmed that there is a glut in tomato production in the Upper East Region.
The price of a crate of tomatoes has fallen from 60,000 to 10,000 cedis.
"We have been advising the farmers at Bolgatanga and Tono to plan their production so that there will be no over-production but they are not adhering to our advice", Mr. P.A Bruce, head of the marketing division of the MOFA, said in an interview in Accra.
"Because of this, over-production happens every year and there is nothing the ministry can do."
Mr. Bruce said other tomato production towns in the country do not face the same problem because they plan their activities in such a way that over-production does not occur during harvests.
He said in the case of Bolgatanga, the farmers invest a lot of money since they depend on the Tono Irrigation Dam where water is sold for their production.
He said during the harvest season, the market women decide the price for the farmers since the farmers have no means of transporting their perishable commodity to the market centres.
Mr. Bruce reiterated the need for the farmers to listen to the advice given to them by the officials of MOFA "and it will go a long way to help them".
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Tema car dealers ask for time to move to Kpone
Tema (Greater Accra) 15 July ’99
The Tema Car Dealers Association on Wednesday urged the Tema Municipal Council to allow its members up to July 31 to move to the new car sales park at Kpone.
The new date will give the members ample time to move to the site expected to be properly conditioned by the Tema Development Corporation before being rented to the dealers.
Mr Kwame Agyepong Ntre, president of the association, made the appeal at a meeting with Nii Armah Ashietey, Tema Municipal Chief Executive after the Association had accepted demands by the TDC to move to the new site.
The meeting was organised by the TMA after a public demonstration by some of the car dealers in Accra during which a petition was presented to Mr Ohene Adjekum, the Regional Minister.
In the petition, the association claimed that Kpone had no banking facility and security, and therefore its members were at risk if they were to operate there.
Mr. Ebenezer Ayi-Bonte, Managing Director of the TDC, told the meeting that 25 members of the association had registered to acquire plots at the park.
He assured them that "we have provided private catering services, so food will not be a problem".
Mr. Ekow Hayford, a member of the association, accused Mr. Ntre of leading a demonstration without the approval of all its members.
He pointed out that since the association was not registered, individual members registered with TDC for plots at the car park.
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Ensure effective fuel use policy, Tsikata
Elmina (Central Region) 15 July ’99
Scientists at the laser and fibre Optics Centre (LAFOC) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) have been urged to measure emission levels from various fuels for thermal generation.
This will provide the required scientific evidence to guide policy decisions on choice of fuel as the world enters a new era of increasing thermal power generation.
Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, chief executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), made the call when he addressed the closing session of an International workshop on "Combustion diagnostics and optical techniques" at Elmina on Saturday.
The workshop, was geared towards fostering collaboration between industries and research institutions, on the transfer of scientific-based technology.
It was organised by the International Centre for High Science and Technology (ICS) based in Italy in conjunction with other local research institutions.
Sixty industrialists and researchers from Ghana, the Sudan, Nigeria, Morocco, Rwanda and Senegal participated.
Mr. Tsikata was happy that the workshop had been held at a time when the importance of natural gas-fired energy has become obvious throughout the world.
It was also at a time when Ghana has experienced a serious shortfall in energy from dependence on hydroelectric power.
To guide policy decisions on fuel choice, will therefore be of value not only to Ghana, but the whole of Africa, as various projects are being undertaken to address current energy shortfalls.
Mr. Tsikata stressed the need to monitor activities of oil industries and transform the emission into energy, specifically in Nigeria where billions of cubic feet of natural gas are flared daily during oil production.
He noted that the assessment of emissions from oil refineries and power plants would also assist the Environmental Protection Agency in assessing environmental impacts from various combustion processes.
The Chief Executive hoped that deliberations at the workshop would contribute to the development of the African continent.
He stressed that such experts should be given credence to motivate them and to help bridge the science and technology gap between the rich and poor nations.
The participants expressed concern about the lack of adequately trained manpower and insufficient facilities within the public and private sector for atmospheric pollution studies.
In a resolution, they asked that scientists, engineers, and technical personnel should be trained for the establishment of local expertise in combustion, emission control and laser and optical techniques
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Minister to be nominated for Gomoa constituency seat
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 July ’99
The executive committee of the NDC in the Gomoa West Constituency of the central region has agreed to re-elect Mrs. Ama Benyiwa-Doe, as their parliamentary candidate for next year's elections.
The Reverend Sammy Jehu-Appiah, the constituency secretary, said the decision was taken during the committee's last meeting held at Dawurapong to discuss arrangements for the 2000 elections.
The executive members also affirmed their support for the MP who is also a Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare and agreed to sponsor her to complete the on-going projects she is undertaking in the area.
Rev. Jehu-Appiah urged committee members to ensure frequent zonal meetings to sustain members interest for effective organisation.
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NIB donates 10 million cedis towards parliamentary confab
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 July ’99
The National Investment Bank (NIB) on Wednesday presented a cheque for 10 million cedis to assist Parliament towards hosting a weeklong conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Accra on August seven next year.
Mr. S.O. Boadu, Director/Solicitor Secretary of the bank, who presented the cheque, said the donation was in response to Parliament request for sponsorship to host the conference.
He said the gesture was also in recognition of the social responsibility of the bank to help enhance Ghana's parliamentary democracy.
Dr Kwabena Adjei, Leader of the House, received the cheque and expressed gratitude to the bank for its timely response.
He noted that the last decade of "this century has seen a wind of democratic change throughout the world" and that Ghana had responded to "this change and taken steps to establish a parliamentary democracy under the Fourth Republic".
Dr Adjei said Parliament was making every effort to help unite the legislatures of the West African sub-region as its contribution to enhancing the emerging parliamentary diplomacy.
Parliament, he said, was also playing its role to open up the country for freedom and justice to thrive.
Other organisations have also contributed various sums of money totalling nearly 50 million cedis towards the conference.
They are the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Bank of Ghana, Bank for Housing and Construction (BHC), Precious Minerals Marketing Corporation (PMMC), Chamber of Mines, Tema Lube Oil, Ghana Aluminium Company, Goil, as well as some steel companies in Tema.
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African Automobile is not against unionisation of Workers, GM
Accra (Greater Accra) 15 July ’99
The Management of African Automobile Limited (AAL) on Wednesday said it is neither against the unionisation of its employees nor has it ever prevented them from joining the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC).
In an interview in Accra, Mr. David Morray, General Manager of the company, said "we are not and never have we been against our employees joining a union".
Mr. Morray added that Management cannot stop its employees from joining a union should they wish to do so.
Employees should have the free choice to join a union he said, adding that they should not be intimidated to do so.
"Should they choose to join a union, the proper laid down procedure must be followed, this the Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of the TUC have failed to do".
The General Manager said it is a fact that 250 million cedis worth of hand tools have gone missing from the company within the past two years.
He also said 750 million cedis worth of spare parts have been stolen from the company within the past year.
Mr. Morray said there are instances in which customers wishing to bring their vehicles to the workshop for repairs have been diverted by some of the workers to their own workshops to the detriment of the company.
The General Manager said every employee of the company enters into mutual contractual agreement with management and that it is not fair that employees should resort to violent tendencies which can lead to the destruction of the company.
If an employee, after being employed, finds a better position elsewhere, he has the liberty to leave.
Mr. Morray said it is sad to note that some of the employees after receiving their salaries, without any justification, vacate their posts without any prior notification to management.
He assured all customers of the company that it has resumed normal business operations.
Some workers of the AAL recently besieged the premises of the company and succeeded in disrupting business for three weeks.
Following the closure of the company, management of the AAL sued the ICU of the TUC for illegally organising workers of the company to demonstrate against management.
An Accra high court presided over by Mr. Richard Apaloo then ordered workers of the company to stop any industrial action until the case pending before it had been settled.
The case has been adjourned to July 21.
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Road Fund to support trunk road maintenance
Wa (Upper West) 15 July ’99
The government has approved 22.5 billion cedis from the road fund for the maintenance of trunk roads in the Upper West region this year.
About 92 kilometres of roads will be re-gravelled, 42 kilometres upgraded and eight kilometres tarred, Mr. J.K. Danso, the Regional Director of Ghana Highway Authority has said.
He told members of the Road Fund Board on a three-day tour of the region that about 600 kilometres of gravelled road have been awarded on contract for upgrading at an estimated 504 million cedis.
Mr. Bernard Badu, the Regional Engineer, said 76 kilometres of roads have been approved for periodic maintenance during the year, 29.5 kilometres for rehabilitation under the GHA's 'spot improvement programme and 72.2 kilometres would be constructed.
Led by Mr. Steve Akorli, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport, the 11 member board assessed the conditions of roads and inspected both completed and on-going projects in the Wa, Nadowli, Jirapa and Sissala districts financed through the road fund.
Mr. Bede Ziedeng, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, described the Road Fund as laudable, saying it has within a short time sustained the construction and rehabilitation of link roads to "areas crying for attention for years".
He appealed to the board to extend its funding to cover the Bole-Bamboi portion of the Wa-Bamboi road, which he said, "is very dear to the people of the region but is now in its worst state".
Mr. Akorli admitted the poor condition of the road, describing it as a national priority. "Plans are far advanced to get work on the road started between now and early next year", Mr. Akorli added.
He said due to competing demands on money from the road fund, it could not be used on the Bole-Bamboi road which "requires a large infusion of funding from both local and foreign sources.
"A small portion of that road can eat up all the road fund in one year", he added.
The road fund board, inaugurated in January 1997, generates its fund from fuel levies, vehicle licensing, road user fees, road tolls and international transit fees.
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