Funds for construction of toilet facilities used to purchase posh vehicles, sponsor cronies abroad - Report

Sizable number out of sixty local building construction companies who received financial assistance to construct 10,000 units of modern toilet facilities by the year 2025 across the country used the money to purchase posh vehicles for personal use, while others used the money to sponsor their children and cronies abroad.

The amount, GHC4.6million was disbursed by the Ghana First Company Limited to these companies to facilitate the smooth execution and completion of the projects across the country.

The initiative was to augment the government’s fight against insanitary conditions in the country through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

List of companies

They were Adyhos Company Limited, Alo Ebia Company Limited, Aniya Enterprise, Baf Survey and Constriction Limited, Big YBN Company and Boatdame Construction and Supplies Limited.

The rest were Cast Out Fear Company Limited, Charles K. Ankoma Ventures, Clendy Real Estate Limited, Dadyco Limited, Deecal Company Limited, Edemetha Enterprise-Edem Letsa, EMB Ventures Limited, Equity Lynx Company Limited, and Erham Construction Limited.

Farsight Ventures Limited, Fredmay Company Limited, Free Fall Construction

Limited, Fresh M Construction & Pavement Blokc-Abraham Yeboah, Galtons

Company Limited, Goldline Construction Limited, Hanimart Limited, I. K.

Mphammed Company Limited, Illias Ghana Limited, Johbeco Company Limited, Jonaco Enterprise, Joyflux, Juliana Akowuah-W&G Chairman, also added to the list.

The following were also given some assistance: Julibork Construction Limited, Kem Millennium Ventures, KGE Company Limited, Kwasi Gyan Limited, Lemipa International Company, Mashiko Enterprise, Mat Benetty Enterprise, NS & P Ghana Limited, Nhyira Building & Construction Works, Noble Green Africa Construction Limited, Nyarko & Co. Construction Limited, Framan Trading and Construction Works, Quality Systems, Ridge Stewardship Construction Limited, S. K. Amyaks Company Limited, Samgit Company Limyed, Samuel Koranteng Ventures, Satmosa Enterprise Starco Ventures, Steve Asiedu Company Limited, Strong Moraf Construction Limited Theo Thom Construction Limited, Vonnyborg Company Limited.

Standoffs

Documents available to that effect states that the above companies were given between GHS30,000 to over GHS150,000 but most of them have nothing to show.

There have been standoffs between the multinational waste management company and contractors who are building 14, 16, 20 type A, and 20 type B public toilets with paperless entry of payments recently.

In the document sighted by Onua FM which was addressed to the Local Government Ministry and Ministry of Sanitation, the aggrieved contractors quoted their number as 200 contractors who have not been paid for 60% of work done on the projects, but the Spokesperson of the aggrieved contractors quoted their number as 130, throwing several doubts about their actual numbers.

The company therefore invited the contractors for a round table meeting aimed at ironing out the differences and finding an amicable solution to the impasse but only the spokesperson appeared and tabled 37 companies out of between 130 and 200 tabled to the Local Government and Sanitation Ministries attended the meeting.

Background Ghana First Company Limited, a waste management company, signed a memorandum of understanding with Thermodul System GmBH in 2017, a German company, to construct some of the 20,000 units of modern toilet facilities across the country at a cost of $300,000,000.

Ghana First Company Limited awarded these contracts to local contractors but about a year and half after the awarding of the contract, some of them have squandered the funds given them from the IGF of the company.

The first 10,000 facilities were to have been completed and put into operation by the end of 2025.

The rest would be completed soon after that.

The toilet facilities will be sited at lorry stations, marketplaces, recreational centres, beaches and along highways.

The facilities are in three categories: a 20-seater modern toilet facility which comes with a 20-seater W/C, 20 bathrooms, 20 urinals, one dressing room, one laundry room and two extra rooms to be used as stores.

There would also be a 14-seater modern toilet facility which will have a 14 seater W/C, 14 bathrooms and 14 urinals; a 16-seater modern toilet facility which will have a 16-seater W/C and 16 urinals.

Signing of agreement

The MOU for the construction of the facilities, pending the release of funds from the German comoany was signed on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 between the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana First Company Limited, Mr Frank Akuley, and the Managing Director of Thermodul System GmBH in Accra, Ms Lidia Mathe.

The investor also had the mandate to give technical support and expertise for the construction of the facilities while the two organizations would collaborate to remedy any defects within the defects liability period of six months.

Collaboration Mr. Akuley at the signing of the agreement said the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources had subjected the facility to technical and financial reviews and its viability and sustainability were not in doubt.

He said the company had entered into a public-private partnership (PPP) with metropolitan, municipal and district assembles (MMDAs) to construct these facilities nationwide.

Ghana First Company Limited shame contractors over inconsistency in numbers

The unpardonable rate of inconsistencies in the number of agitated contractors has been questioned by Ghana First Company Limited raising doubts about the contractors.

The recent standoff between the multinational waste management company and contractors who are building 14, 16, 20 type A, and 20 type B public toilets with paperless entry of payments, has attracted the attention of the vociferous Ghanaian media forcing the company to throw out doubts about the agitated contractors.

Findings

The Ghana First Company Limited during a visit to some of the construction

sites observed that “shockingly, some of them took the monies to buy cars and some sponsored their wards with the money to travel outside the country”

without investing in the project for its completion.

“Strange, isn’t it? These are the people we are dealing with. The monies were given to assist them complete the projects but they chose to do something else with them”, the CEO said in an interview.

Mr. Akulley said his outfit was shocked when they went on inspection and realized some of the contractors even choose to site the projects at different locations instead of the original locations given by the MCEs and DCEs.