Kwabena Yeboah wades into Paul Adom-Otchere’s Christmas tree saga

Kwabena Yeboah, a board member of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) has opined that given the chance, the board chair of GACL, Paul Adom-Otchere will act differently in the matter of the purchase of materials for the decoration of the Kotoka International Airport last year.

Kwabena Yeboah suggested in an interview with Blakk Rasta on 3FM that Paul Adom-Otchere would react differently if the situation was to be reversed.

According to him, owing to the backlash that his actions generated, Adom-Otchere would have delegated the CEO of KIA to handle the matter of purchasing items for the decoration of the airport.

He disclosed that this year’s decorations were fully-funded by the Ghana Oil Limited (GOIL) and that the processes were fully handled by the CEO .

“We hadn’t been sworn as a board yet. I haven’t spoken to him specifically about this but I want to believe that if he had an opportunity, he would have loved the CEO to do that.

“For example, this coming Christmas, we are decorating the place but it has got nothing to do with us. It’s GOIL who have decided to sponsor the whole package.

“As I said, I didn’t not know the peculiar circumstances under which he decided to have his name on the invoice but considering the furore and uproar, if he had the opportunity, he would have been better off staying away and letting the CEO do that job,” he said.

Paul Adom-Otchere got a lot flak after it emerged that the procurement of Christmas trees for the airport were done by himself, the Board Chair.

The procurement process a well as the cost of the decoration drew the ire of some Ghanaians who accused Adom-Otchere of engaging in profligacy.

It was reported that it cost the GACL GH₵84,000 to decorate the place but Adom-Otchere refuted the allegations, mentioning GH ₵34,000 as the cost because portions of the works had been fully sponsored.

“The beautiful Christmas tree standing at Terminal 3 and 3 others altogether cost GHC 34,000, which was graciously provided by Jandel Limited at a heavy discount. (We thank Jandel Limited)”

“The other inspirations were provided by Favors and Arts for a total cost of GHC 84,000 out of which GHC 50,000 was obtained via sponsorship,” he said on his Good Evening Ghana programme last year.