I have not been paid – Flagstaff girl cries out

After DAILY GUIDE’s publication on details of a contract awarded to Ebby Mays Furnishings to furnish the Presidential residency at the Flagstaff House at a cost of GH¢218, 565.50 (¢2.2billion), the Managing Director of the company, Mary Agbetor, called the offices of the paper complaining bitterly about the publication.

Her concern was not because the story was false or she had not been awarded the contract under sole sourcing, but the fact that she had not been paid after executing the project.

“I have not been paid”, she cried out while noting with emphasis “I’ve not been paid even GH¢1; I’ve not taken anything…and I can swear anywhere in the world; nobody has been paid $1.00,” she noted.

Mary, therefore, sought to defuse the impression created that she had been paid the amount in question.

She claimed to have received tons of calls from friends and relations across the world because of the publication with virtually everybody seeking to know if she had become that rich overnight considering the amount involved in the contract to furnish the president’s bedroom.

“People are thinking I’ve got that kind of money; some are taking it for a joke, others are also calling me, ‘please can you give me some money?’ why?” she said worriedly.

“I work to make profit; so if I have been asked to do a work and I made a profit there is absolutely nothing wrong,” she said claiming to have been in the business for the past 19 years, touting her credentials as having executed similar contracts under the Rawlings and Kufuor regimes.

She was singled out for the contract for what government described as security reasons even though the woman said she had been working for all governments both NPP and NDC.

Her concern was not about the huge nature of the amount being spent in furnishing the presidential villa but the fact that she thought “somebody somewhere either is jealous, envious or somebody wants this contract and then that is why they are doing this.”

The amount involved has set tongues wagging among even staff of the presidency wondering why the lavish spending in these difficult times when the country is virtually on its knees financially.

The contract was awarded to Ebby May Soft Furnishing under sole sourcing, thereby raising questions as to why such a major contract would not go for an open tender in order to get value for money.

Most contracts under the Mahama presidency are sole sourced, thus denying the country value for money. All these are happening at the time the Mahama administration claims it is waging a battle against corruption.

But the Presidency claimed the decision to sole source was informed by “the security considerations and their ability (referring to Ebby May) to complete the works within the shortest possible time.”

The Contract

The contract involved furnishings at residency including the down stairs corridors which is costing the tax payer an amount of GH¢67, 220.00, GH¢1,669.00 for coffee room curtains, voile and trimming, GH¢5995.00 for reception curtains, voile and trimming, GH¢6,455.00 for the main living room voile and trimming, GH¢2,261.00 for bar voile and trimming and GH¢9, 755.00 for the dining area.

The rest include an amount of GH¢2,461.00 for a recreational room- formal coffee room, GH¢171.00 for an informal kitchen – Venetian blinds only, GH¢2,850.00 for gym remote control blinds, GH¢3, 604.00 for a family dining room, GH¢1,925.00 for the main kitchen, GH¢8,380.00 for the meeting area and GH¢3, 243.00 for the waiting reception/visitors lounge.

Others include an amount of GH¢5,940.00 for a playroom and lobby, GH¢31,270.00 for the upstairs corridors, GH¢7,212.00 for what was described as ‘Madam’s room and library’, GH¢7,212.00 two master bedrooms and libraries, GH¢11,540.00 for the private lounge of suites and GH¢4,562.00 for a supposed ‘prayer room’.

An amount of GH¢11, 900.50 is also to be used to furnish four family bedrooms while an amount of GH¢1,323.00 is scheduled to be used to furnish two VIP bedrooms at the President’s residence, not to talk about GH¢2,156.00 for the VIP lounge, GH¢1,323.00 for two security rooms, and GH¢1,568.00 for the two guest rooms at the downstairs of the Presidential villa.

An amount of GH¢15,750.00 is earmarked for workmanship, delivery and installation by the company contracted for the job.