Lower Manya Krobo MCE dismisses NDC claims of project plagiarism

Municipal Chief Executive, MCE for the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly has in an interview dismissed accusations of ‘plagiarism of projects’ started by the erstwhile NDC government in Lower Manya Krobo.

Honourable Simon Kweku Tetteh reacting to the charges levelled against him by executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Lower Manya Krobo questioned the motive behind the opposition party’s claims, describing the allegations as clear deceit and misrepresentations of the facts.

Party executives of the opposition National Democratic Congress in the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency of the Eastern Region on Tuesday during its first edition of the ‘Moment of Truth Series’ descended heavily on the governing New Patriotic Party in the constituency and the Municipal Chief Executive for the area, Simon Kweku Tetteh over what the party terms, ‘plagiarizing of projects commenced and completed’ by the previous regime.

The press conference dubbed ‘exposing the deceit and failure of NPP within the constituency’ held at the party’s office on Tuesday faulted the assembly chief over what the party termed the tendency of the NPP to plagiarize completed physical projects and others at various stages of completion.

These include schools, expansion of electricity projects, boreholes, a police post, etc., specifically the Agormanya Islamic School, Yokwenor Primary School, Odumase Anglican School, Odumase Police Station, Bore Holes, Expansion of Electricity, and Nursing Training School Block at Odumase amongst other projects.

The press statement read by the constituency secretary, Mr. Atenas Frederick Kofi to journalists and led by the chairman of the party in the constituency, Mr. David Walter Yao noted that the projects mentioned by the MCE were executed by the NDC government which the NPP is taking credit for without duly acknowledging the role played by the former National Democratic Congress government and former President John Dramani Mahama.

But the MCE in challenging the assertions said members of the various communities would bear witnesses to the various projects as initiatives of the current dispensation and the assembly chief. Though the MCE concedes that works on some of the mentioned projects including the Agormanya Islamic School and Odumase Police Station, begun prior to his assumption of office, these projects were abandoned for numerous years until he came to office.

Also, with about 45 new toilet facilities nearing completion, tackling sanitation remains one of the foremost priorities of the municipal assembly and its MCE, largely in line with President Akuffo Addo’s transformational agenda, a priority Honorable Simon Tetteh vows he won’t be distracted from.

To him, most governments are reluctant to complete unfinished projects begun by previous governments due to this kind of posture as being by the NDC. “This is why current governments are hesitant to continue with uncompleted developmental projects of previous regimes,” he said.

The assembly chief showing documents to reporters to prove the authenticity of his claims noted that when he, upon assumption of office, met some abandoned and uncompleted projects left by the past administration which he has since completed.

He however added strongly that the ongoing projects were solely awarded by his regime.

He was emphatic that some of these projects were done in collaboration with the Municipal Assembly, Pencil of Promise (an NGO) and the beneficiary communities, contrary to assertions that the NGO wholly funded these developments which he therefore has no moral rights to claim credit for.

Honourable Simon Kweku Tetteh while underscoring the transparency of his two-year governance also rubbished alleged acts of corruption of his office levelled by his opponents.

The opposition party in its press conference threatened to ‘in due course expose him (MCE) on the issues of corruption on going in his (MCE) office.

The assembly, for the first time in its history, has not received an audit query, the MCE averred.

With the MCE confident of the various developmental projects at various stages of completion being undertaken by the Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Assembly clearly visible to citizens, Honorable Simon Tetteh is calling on constituents to support the assembly to further its mandate by religiously honoring their tax and toll obligations.

Earlier on Wednesday, executives of the NPP in the constituency led by the constituency secretary rebutted the claims of the NDC.

At a press conference addressed by Mr. Goldman Awuku Dodzi at the party office, the scribe observed that the statement by their opponents was merely to pursue an ‘ill agenda’ together with its non-performing Member of Parliament for the area, Honourable Okletey Terlabi.

The jointed statement issued and signed by the Constituency Communication Officer, Kortey Felix said the NDC party in the constituency had succeeded in wantonly embarrassing itself it its attempt to convince and satisfy its paymasters into believing that it was working, adding that the NDC cannot take credit for the said projects.

“In an attempt to satisfy their paymasters and leadership that they are assiduously working, they have wantonly disgraced themselves for claiming ownership of the following projects executed in the Municipality under an NPP led government: the new School infrastructure for Ketem community, Yokwenor Primary School, Odumase Anglican School, Odumase Police Station,” the statement read.

Read the full Press Statement:

PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE NPP- LOWER MANYA KROBO CONSTITUENCY, IN RESPONSE TO ALLEGATIONS MADE BY THE NDC-LOWER MANYA KROBO CONSTITUENCY EXECUTIVES IN A PRESS STATEMENT ON THE 19TH MARCH, 2019.

Members of the press, we really appreciate and thank you for responding to our invitation at short notice. But as you are aware, we are compelled to invite you here today to respond to the ill agenda set by the NDC- Lower Manya Krobo and it's nonperforming Member of Parliament (MP), Hon. Okletey Terlabi.

It is unfortunate that instead of calling you to share with you the good things that the Nana Addo led government is doing through our indefatigable Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Simon Kweku Tetteh, we are rather compelled under such circumstance to respond to an opposition Party and its MP that has no aim and direction as a lawmaker for this noble constituency. This clearly demonstrates the assertion out there that they (NDC) have not recovered from the electoral defeat of 2016 and the massive support enjoyed by the NPP in the Krobo areas.

In an attempt to satisfy their paymasters and leadership that they are assiduously working, they have wantonly disgraced themselves for claiming ownership of the following projects executed in the Municipality under an NPP led government: the new School infrastructure for Ketem community, Yokwenor Primary School, Odumase Anglican School, Odumase Police Station.

For the records, the construction of Odumase Anglican JHS block started in November 2017 and completed in March 2019; Yokwenor 5unit classroom block started in August 2018 and completed in January 2019. It’s amazing the utter brazenness and the absolute illogicality in the statement made by the NDC and its claims that contracts awarded in 2017 and 2018 was done by them. You can only get this from the stalks of NDC Lower Manya Krobo leadership.

Subsequently, they again claimed that Ketem Primary School, Oborpah and Yonguase respectively have been executed by Pencil of Promise in collaboration with the MP. Ladies and gentlemen, we want to ask this simple question, how much did the MP commit to these projects if really he did it in collaboration with Pencil of Hope?

THE FACTS

The NPP under the leadership of Hon, Simon Tetteh inherited empty coffers of the Assembly that were looted by Hon. Isaac Agbo Tetteh, Hon. Joseph Acorlatse and supported by the MP. However, through focus and commitment on the part of the MCE, he was able to lobby Pencil of Promise (an NGO) to come to the aid of dilapidated schools in Yonguase, Oborpah, and Ketem respectively.

All the said projects were executed between December 2017 and January 2019, with counterpart funding of 20% from the Assembly coffers. We wonder whether the NDC is still in power when these projects started.

The second leg of the empty propaganda statement is the claim that Agormanya Islamic JHS which was abandoned in 2010; the Nursing Training College building which was awarded in 2016 but no single block laid; and Odumase Police post which was also awarded and abandoned in 2016 was completed and ready for commissioning during their time. This is another hallucination from a confused opposition Party which cannot hold its forefront as indications show they will taste the worst defeat of their lives in 2020. It has started with the recently held Assembly election and it will continue unabated till we get rid of them to properly brand this constituency in good limelight.

On the rural electrification projects in the middle-belt zone, it is of public knowledge and on record that the contract was awarded in the NPP era under the then Minister of Energy Hon. Boakye Agyarko. The said project was awarded to cover not only communities in Lower Manya Krobo but Upper Manya and Yilo Krobo respectively. We vividly remember how the minority including Hon.

Okletey Terlabi, who should have supported the bid of then Minister of Energy to bring development to his constituency, rather joined his colleagues in parliament to raise concerns about the Minister’s choice to bring this project to Krobo areas. It is surprising that the MP could not lobby rural electrification project for the middle-zone when they were in government and rural electrification project was rapidly going on in Yilo Krobo Municipal with the exclusion of Lower Manya Krobo but was quick to take credit for something that is being done by the current administration. Is it a sign of political delusion or depression? Indeed, posterity will judge every politician.

THE CORRUPT PRACTICES OF NDC AND THE MP IN LOWER MANYA KROBO

We are aware of the numerous deals that the MP is using his share of the common fund to do in order to enhance his political fortunes in his Party which is against the very reason why MPs are allocated these funds. In the audit report for 2018 on the use of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) it was captured in page six and I quote “we noted that stores items valued at GHS 106, 480.70 issued in bulk to the Member of Parliament (MP) for onward distribution to the beneficiaries were without signed distribution lists. This laxity on the part of the MP to ensure detailed signed list led to this anomaly.”

In the same page, the auditors also noted with grave concern how two contracts to the tune of GHS 104, 050.00 were awarded to one M/S Jorninas Ent., in 2016, without any contractual agreement between the Assembly and the said company. This is how Hon. Terlabi and his erstwhile government handled State funds meant for the people of Lower Manya Krobo.

We call on the State agencies in charge of protecting the public purse to go beyond what some of the technocrats report and investigate the usage of the MP’s common fund. Since his reign as MP, he has never touched any project and finishes before. His latest episode is the Kpong Presby Park, where he has sink State funds into it and abandoned it.

While we are aware the politics of the time is directed at purported players, we wish to be emphatic that we have other relevant matters at hand to work on for the betterment of our Municipal and does not have the luxury of time to be battling in this useless and unprofitable venture.

However, we want to use this opportunity to bring to the attention of the good people of Lower Manya Krobo some of the achievements of the NPP in Lower Manya Krobo led by the Hon. MCE Simon Kweku Tetteh.

OUR TWO YEARS TRACK RECORDS

1. In just two years the following local developmental projects have been embarked on.

6unit classroom block for Yokwenor-completed and commissioned

2. 9unit Teachers bungalow which was started in President Kufuor’s time and abandoned has been completed and commissioned.

3. Schools for Ketem and Yonguase has been completed and commissioned

4. 6unit classroom block for Odumase Anglican.

5. Two boreholes for Ketem and Oborpah Gyekiti

6. KG block for Gyekiti- ongoing

7. 3unit classroom block for Adjikpo- ongoing

8. KG block for Kpong Methodist School under the 1 million dollars each constituency initiative- ongoing.

9.Ultra-modern clinic for Oborpah Gyekiti- ongoing

10. Expanded the school feeding from 17 to 31 schools in the Municipality.

11. New GES office complex at Kpong- ongoing.

12. Boreholes for Oborpah East, Yonguase and Wawase under the 1 million dollars per constituency- ongoing

13. Three (3) ultra-modern institutional toilets for Manya Krobo SHS, Nuaso Presby and Kpongunor Presby JHS respectively under the 1 million dollars per constituency-ongoing.

14. Over 500 farmers benefitted from the Planting for food and jobs locally.

15. NABCO employed 350 young graduates from Lower Manya

16. Forestry Commission employed 200 young people from Lower Manya

Finally, we wish to assure the good people of Lower Manya Krobo and the Ghanaian people that, the NPP is scrupulously minded of the mandate to deliver and so far so good we have achieved enough locally that those Pontius Pilates could not do in their 27 years rule of Lower Manya krobo and would want to create unnecessary noise and attention to foot the bills of their pocket.

Long Live Ghana

Long Live Lower Manya Krobo

Long Live the NPP

KORTEY FELIX

COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR

0244510924