Ho MCE denies corruption allegations

Mrs Fafa Adinyira, the Ho Municipal Chief Executive has denied corruption allegations leveled against her by a group calling itself the “Concerned Youths and Stakeholders” in Ho.

The group issued a press release calling for the removal of the MCE for allegedly awarding contracts arbitrarily and also inflating the contract sums.

The group demanded Mrs Adinyira’s removal from office claiming it would prevent any political catastrophe because her stay in office could be inimical to the success of the National Democratic Congress.

They, therefore, gave President John Dramani Mahama a two-week ultimatum to sack Mrs Adinyira otherwise; they said they would stage demonstrations in the regional capital.

However, a press release from the Assembly, signed by Mrs Adinyira and the Coordinating Director, described the allegations as “palpable false,” aimed at tarnishing her image.

The release said it was not true that MCE had awarded contracts to Assembly staff and her cronies.

The statement said the contract for printing of calendars for the Assembly was done by Diamond Step Ventures, a company owned by a lady in Ho and not Mr Stephen Kumi, the Human Resource Officer of the Assembly, as alleged.

It said the renovation of the Assembly hall was also done by Primbo Engineering Company, while the purchasing of tables and chairs was done by Bosatsu Ventures and not by Mr Cornelius Fugah, the Planning Officer of the Assembly, as alleged.

The statement said the documents at the Assembly did not contain the name of any of the staff of the Assembly as an owner or director of the above companies.

It said it was also untrue that Mrs Adinyira inflated the cost of the skip containers she bought on behalf of the Assembly from Zoomlion from GH?5,000.00 to GH?10,000.00 without following the procurement procedure.

The statement said the Assembly, through the competitive tender process, engaged Terrywhite Company Limited to supply 30 skip containers and 240 household litre bins, which were supplied at GH?7.000.00 for the skip container and GH?600.00 for the litre bins.

Concerning the allegations of the Assembly paying the WISDAF Company GH?87,000.00 to purchase land for a new Assembly complex, and the Assembly’s inability to trace the money or the land in three years running, the release said that contract was entered into during the tenure of Mr Isaac Kodobisah, a former MCE of the Assembly and the lawyers of the Assembly were handling that issue.

It said it was untrue that the MCE and the Assembly never advertised either in the daily newspapers or on its notice board any bid for contracts.

It also denied the charges that the MCE handpicked and sole sourced certain unprofessional individuals, some of whom were management staff of the Assembly, with the view of “milking” the Assembly.

It said the Assembly always operated within the confines of the Procurement Law and other legislation when awarding contracts for the provision of goods and services.