Contractor demands Gh¢45,000 from Ghana@50 Secretariat

Accra, Oct. 6, GNA - Mr Osei Bonsu Akorsah, Managing Director of Adhro Limited, a civil construction firm, on Tuesday demanded payment of Gh¢45,000, from the defunct Ghana@50 Secretariat, being unpaid money for civil works the company carried out for the Secretariat.

Mr Akorsah, who was testifying at the Ghana@50 Commission of Inquiry, told the Commission that the company undertook two contracts for the Secretariat, the first being the construction of two houses at the La AU Village at Cantonments and the second being the refurbishment of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.

He said that Gh¢16,000 represented actual balance for the first project and the remaining 28, 139.62 was balance for the second project. Mr Akoto Ampaw, counsel for Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey, former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, disputed the claim, saying that records at the Secretariat indicated otherwise. He said that in respect of the contract at the AU village, records showed that outstanding balance was Gh¢13,457.20.

Mr Ampaw explained that if a five per cent tax of Gh¢672.86 was deducted from the amount, the actual balance due Adhro Limited was Gh¢11,758.94 and not the Gh¢16,000 the company was claiming. Concerning the Park project, he said records indicated a nominal balance of Gh¢38,139.62 and Adhro did not supply split air conditioning and pumps and a mower valued at Gh¢12,300 and Gh¢ 33,384.50 respectively listed in the bill of quantities.

Mr Ampaw said that if the cost of items that were not supplied was subtracted from the nominal balance, Adhro Limited rather owed government Gh¢13,969.72. This resulted in heated exchanges between Mr Ampaw and Mr Akorsah, who latter admitted that the company did not supply the items in the initial bill of quantities submitted to the Secretariat before commencing work.

The Managing Director said that the demand was based on the evaluation that was done at the completion of the contract, which he submitted to the secretariat.

The Commission said it would verify the claim and make recommendations accordingly.