Committee battles Ejura MCE over contract

Members of a Tender Committee in the Ejura Municipal Assembly have raised red flag against the Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Mohammed Bawah Braimah, for inveigling them to a meeting over a project that he had already awarded on contract.

On the Tuesday 16 June, 2015, the Municipal Chief Engineer, Mr. Eric Y. Owusu called a tender opening meeting for two projects made up of the construction of 6-Unit classroom at Ayinasu and a 10-seater Aqua Privy Toilet at Ejura Brigade.

The meeting, chaired by the Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Hafiz, opened the tender for the aforementioned projects and was subsequently awarded to some two different supposed qualified bidders.

However, investigations revealed that the MCE, in a flagrant disregard for the Procurement Act awarded the construction of the 6-unit classroom at Ayinasu to a contractor at the blind side of the committee and only ordered the conveyance of the meeting as a mere formality.

The Procurement Act 2003 is established to also ensure public procurement is carried out in fair, transparent and non-discriminatory manner. But when a visit was made to the site on the day of the tender meeting, the project was above waist level, whilst the Contractor was also not on site, giving clear indication that the project began before the tender process was opened.

In an interview with an Assistant Headmaster of the school, Mr. Robert Akowua, he confirmed the project started some four weeks ago stating, however, that management of the school was never involved at any point in the construction of the project. “The project started about 3-4 weeks. Immediately we heard about it, we saw them with the district engineer coming to survey the land where they want to put the structure, that is all I know about the project”, he stated.

When asked why the contractor was absent at site, he answered, “I learned they are saying that they are short of blocks, so they are going and then they would bring some sand and other materials. So when the blocks are ready, they would come back”. The action of the DCE is, however, in total contrast to the entire provisions in the public procurement Act 663 chapter 22clause one (1) of the Procurement Rule.

The Municipal Education Director, a frontline member of the committee, however refused to comment when contacted and directed that answers be sought from the Assembly. The Coordinating director, who chaired the meeting because the MCE was on official duty in Accra, also declined comment saying he doesn’t want to lose his job. He also refused to disclose the contract sum and some other details.

Meanwhile, the MCE, Alhaji Mohammed Bawah has told The Chronicle in an interview that the projects in question were still at the tendering process and that no work has been done. According to him, the pictures being displayed were not that of the proposed projects, explaining that “it is probable a figment of someone’s imagination”

He told this reporter in a telephone interview that he does not have authority to award contracts to individuals, stressing that in the case of the 6-Unit Classroom, the contract would have to pass throng the Regional Evaluation Board since the cost involved, which is about GHC200,000 cedis, was beyond the threshold of the assembly. But evidence in possession of the paper point to the contrary, as information indicates that the projects have actually taken off in earnest.