IN SPITE of all the efforts being made by government and allied agencies to check corruption in the country, certain elements in the society are also determined to make nonsense of the efforts to curb corruption in the system.
This is the situation at the Akyem Tafo Town and Area Council (ATTAC) where about 90 per cent of the total revenue collected by the past council from the sale of building plots from 1998 to August 2001, were spent on sitting allowances and refreshments for its eight members.
The rather sordid picture presented at the ATTAC is that out of the total revenue of ?60,989,200 only ?5,650,000 representing less than 9.2 per cent was paid to stools as royalties.
These were contained in an auditors' report presented to the assembly over its past functions.
A scanty amount of ?1,630,000 representing 2.6 per cent was spent on developmental projects, such as the rehabilitation of minor roads and supply of electricity in some areas.
The difference of ?50,339,000 representing 90 per cent of the total revenue collected was spent on sitting allowance, transportation and refreshment for the council members.
This situation, according to the East Akyem District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Emmanuel Victor Asihene, is unacceptable and needed to be investigated further in order to bring the perpetrators to book.
He said, "This is a classical case of misuse of office and abuse of state resources," and added that it was wrong for the town council to use the revenue accrued from their sale of plots of land within its jurisdiction when and as it pleases.
Asihene pointed out that stool lands are properties of the traditional authorities, which are supposed to be managed by it for the development of the area.
"This clearly shows that both the assembly and the stool did not benefit from the revenue that the former Town Council members generated."
The DCE assured all the people of East Akyem that a committee of enquiry will be set up to investigate the issue and find out why such a colossal amount was spent on such frivolous things.
He noted that as part of government avowed aim of ensuring good governance in the country the EADA will be empowered to reach out to all people living within the jurisdiction of the assembly and respond to their needs.
