MCA Blows 42,000 cedis

Barely a week after she was reported to have locked up the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) manager from his office, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the area, Rev. Mrs Veronica Essuman Nelson, has again been accused of squandering ¢ 42,000 belonging to Buturnyen Anona family of Teterkessim in Elmina.

Mrs Essuman-Nelson, according to the Anona family, claimed she collected the money on behalf of them from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) as a compensation the company gave to the family for releasing their land for the construction of an ECG substation.

Speaking to the press, the spokesperson for the family, Papa Atta Kow, stated that ECG approached the family about four months ago to inform them about their intention to build a sub-station on their land where they promised them a compensation of ¢ 42,000 in return for the release of their land.

According to Papa Kow, the family agreed to give out the land to ECG to undertake the project but advised them to seek permission from the KEEA municipal assembly since the assembly was responsible for signing the building permit. Papa Kow told pressmen that the Anona family waited for the compensation but to no avail even though the project had already started, a situation which compelled the head of the family to send a delegation to the Central Regional Engineer of ECG, one Mr Yeboah, who asked them to go and come the following week since the board will be meeting on the matter.

The spokesperson disclosed that a week later, the delegation went to ECG again and were directed to the regional director of the company who told them that the money had been given to the MCE who claimed she was part of the family. They revealed that all effort to get the money from the MCE proved futile since she always found an excuse whenever the issue was raised.

The Anona family has therefore appealed to President Mills to look into the matter and retrieve their money for them. The appeal was made in a petition which copy was made available to office of the president and other government agencies. When contacted, the MCE directed the press to see the Omanhen of the area, Nana Kwadwo Conduah II, for clarification since he is the overlord of the land.

The MCE claimed she has already given the said money to the right owners of the land, adding that the people who are claiming ownership of the property were squatters. For his part, Nana Conduah II told the press that Anona family has no land in that area.