Relief Items Diverted

President John Agyekum Kufuor's campaign to rid the society of corruption is under serious trial in the Volta Region as his appointees are consciously and covetously guilty of fiscal impropriety.

Recently it was in the news that the Deputy Regional Minister Samuel Kofi Dzamesi was abusing money allocated to the region from the HIPC Relief fund for his personal ambition to contest the parliamentary election in 2004.

It is also alleged that contractors that benefit from any of the HIPC projects or any contract awarded by the Tenders Board make 15% down payments, thereby compromising the President's avowed Zero Tolerance for Corruption (ZTC) campaign.

It is instructive to note that relief items meant for victims of the Keta Sea Defence project were also diverted away from the homeless victims without any remorse.

The Heritage's investigations revealed that relief items such as rice, blankets, rubber bowls were delivered by the Keta Director NADMO coordinator Mr. Aglah.

It was further established that the items were used as gifts by the district coordinator in the last District level elections held in 2002 which he contested but lost.

Madam Awovi Amewoshina (60), who spoke about her plight to this reporter said about eight months ago Mr. Aglah went to inform them that relief items had been sent to them (NADMO) and that they would let them have them.

Madam Amewoshina said, he subsequently brought in 12 camp beds for those occupying tents on the settlement and shared a blanket among two people and two rubber bowls but she refused to accept them.

She claimed after two weeks Aglah went back to inform them that the government had released some food items to be shared among them (victims) which he promised to bring to them on a Friday in June last year but till the time of filling this report the food items has not reached them.

Mr. Gameli, also a victims who corroborated Amweoshina's story, said even though the government is putting in its maximum to alleviate their suffering, the NADMO coordinator is always worsening their plight.

He said the Mr. Aglah is so arrogant to them as if they had called for their own predicament.

All attempts to get the side of Mr. Aglah proved futile since it was a Sunday and he could not be located. Even though I left my cellular phone number for him to contact me he deliberately refuse doing so.

Contacted, the Keta District chief Executive, Emmanuel Vorkeh was shocked to hear that the items did not reach the victims.

DCE Vorkeh said he personally went to solicit for the items for the victims looking at their suffering. He said not too long ago the National coordinator of NADMO, Brig Odei, and the regional coordinator Kenwund Munwosen brought the tents, rice and the other items to be distributed to the victims.

Mr. Vorker said he advised Mr. Aglah to compile a list of the beneficiaries so that he might not end up sharing the items to wrong people.

He told The Heritage that all these took place around the time the district level election were at their peak and therefore he cannot rule it out that it was diverted to service that purpose.

Also reached for his comments, Mr. Kenwuud Nuworseu, regional NADMO coordinator told the Heritage that the blankets were divided into two from the National headquarters and he has since drawn their attention to its. He also asked this reporter what was wrong about Aglah using part of the relief items for his campaign?

The Heritage independent investigations, however, revealed that Mr. Aglah used the relief items as gifts during his electioneering campaign at Ziope in the Ho district but lost to the incumbents. Francis Kwaku.

An impeachable source told The Heritage that some household were given rice, others Wellington boots, some blankets and cutlasses but all the same he lost the elections.