Gonja East DCE Rebuts Corruption Charges

The District Chief Executive (DCE) of West Gonja, Mr. Zakariah Yakubu, has hit back following the allegation of irregularities against him published in the Chronicle on May 1, this year.

The allegation stated among other things that he dished out poverty alleviation loans to favourites, awarded contracts through dubious means, engaged in under and over-invoicing of supplies and appointment of relatives and friends as revenue collectors.

In an interview in Accra on Tuesday, Mr. Yakubu explained that the assembly has a standing committee responsible for the disbursement of the poverty alleviation loan, which has the presiding member as the chairman, and that all loans disbursed to beneficiaries were approved by the credit approval committee, which was later disbursed by the Tamale branch of Agricultural Development Bank.

Mr. Yakubu said he was surprised by the allegation that the disbursement of the loans took place in the bedroom of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman, adding that the records are available at the bank for anybody who wishes to verify.

According to the DCE, all contracts awarded by the assembly went through the district tender board and those records and minutes of the executive of the assembly and the district tender board are available. "All interested persons could go and verify."

Additionally, Mr. Yakubu contented that the assertion by the publication that contractors are often asked to prepare their own bills of quantities and prices for projects was a propaganda meant to undermine his administration.

He said that the assembly has consultants on all its projects and so it is impossible that contractors will be allowed to prepare their own bills of quantity and determine contract prices.

Mr. Yakubu refuted that it is possible for payments to be made before certificates are prepared.

He contended that all payments for contract works in the assembly are paid based on certificates prepared by the project consultant concerned, and verified by the district monitoring team.

The allegation of appointing his relatives and party executives as revenue collectors was also denied by the DCE who pointed out that revenue had increased considerably since the appointment of the new hands.

Mr. Yakubu further explained that all SIF contracts in the district were handled by PERD Consult Limited in Tema, and that all HIPC contract prices were determined from Accra, while bids from contractors were evaluated by the district technical evaluation team, which was approved by the district tender board.

Mr. Yakubu maintained that all the GETFUND contracts were handled by AESL Limited in Tema.

In another development, the DCE warned people in his district to desist from accusing officials in the assembly of malpractices without cross-checking their facts.

He stressed that such nefarious practices tend to deprive the assembly of skilled personnel who usually apply for transfers and quit the district.