MASLOC's 350 brand new vehicles left to rot

The brand new vehicles handed over to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) in 2016 on hire purchase by the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has been left to rot.

The vehicles, comprising 100 33-seater buses and 250 saloon cars, were to be used for commercial operations. However, investigations conducted by rainbowradioonline.com have revealed that the vehicles have been left to rot at a parking space within the premises of the International Conference Centre.

Parts of the brand new vehicles have started wearing out because they’ve been left at the mercy of the weather. Some of the vehicles have rusted with tyres deflated.

Former President John Dramani who presented the vehicles to officials of the GPRTU, in 2016 said, "The scheme is yet another novelty of this government that will afford members of the GPRTU the opportunity to acquire on hire purchase, buses and saloon cars to renew their fleet in a manner that will not put undue constraints on their capital and cash flow."

He said the provision of the vehicles was consistent with the government's policy to expand opportunities to all and also ensure a firm foundation for socio-economic transformation through the provision of safe means of transport to the citizens of the country.

However, the novelty as the former president described it in 2016, has turned out be a waste of state resources because the vehicles have been abandoned more than a year after they were commissioned.

MASLOC, since its inception in 2006, has provided micro, small and group loans to individuals in many areas of endeavor of micro-enterprise such as food crops, agro-processing and marketing, livestock production and the poultry industry among others.

Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, had said the Centre’s long-term objective is to promote the emergence, development and growth of a sustainable and decentralized micro-financial sector with grassroots participation in ownership, management and control. A similar case was witnessed after some 150 turbo inter-coolers were abandoned at the institute of Local Government since 2000.

The $1.5 billion Galloper vehicles were imported in the year 2000 as part of an agreement between Government of Ghana and African Auto Mobile Limited for distribution to local assemblies.

The company sued government for 1.5 billion dollars in 2008 because the erstwhile Kufour administration refused to take delivery of these vehicles after the then Chief of Staff, Mr. Kojo Mpiani had said the vehicles did not meet the specifications and standards required.

A ruling by the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Torkornoo, tin her ruling said the company had no valid binding agreement with government. The case later went to the Supreme Court after the company made a number of appeals against the ruling which upheld the Accra High Court's ruling.

The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) has been tasked to investigate the purchase of some 30 ambulances estimated at $2.4 million, under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration.

The ministry of health referred the supposedly dubious deal to EOCO for investigation following revelations that there are no documents covering the transaction.

According to reports, the undocumented purchase of 30 out of 200 ambulances procured by the ministry of health and arrived in the country in 2016, did not meet specifications, compelling the ministry to suspend their purchase and distribution to government hospitals and the national Ambulance Service.

The current Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, told the media that during the transition period, it was noted that the ambulances were supplied but the ministry did not accept them because the specifications fell short of expectation.

It was obvious from Rainbow Radio’s investigations that some of the MASLOC brand new hire purchase vehicles purchased for the GPRTU, may have worn out totally but it would be proper for state officials to make ensure that the rest of the abandoned vehicles are put to use before they are go waste.