Views from Volta: Govt Party Aid Corruption

The Akatsi township is agog with rumours and whispers of governmental encouragement of corruptible acts as a result of a document circulating in the town.The document, a letter signed by the constituency secretary of the NPP M.Q Ahiafor, sought the co-operation of the Chief Executive of the district (Akatsi) in executing projects and contracts in order to generate funds for the running of the party and the district.

The people are, therefore, raising questions about the propriety of the formation of a District Implementation Committee by the “Ave” (Avenor) constituency of the party (NPP) to, in conjunction with the Chief Executive, “execute the affairs of the District in the best interest of the party.

”The letter, which had been copied to the Regional Minister and his Deputy as well as the Regional Chairman of the Party (see page 3), has been described as a subtle attempt by the constituency to manipulate the DCE to its advantage.

The Network Herald was informed that the sole aim behind the formation of the committee is to generate funds for running of the party through the award of contracts. The seven-member Committee is made up of A.K. Goka as chairman, with G.K.Awudi, G.Y. Agbolo, K.A. Awadzie, David Takorhene and Miss Olivia Agbalenyo as members. The regional chairman of the party, Ken Nuwosu however denied knowledge of the existence of the committee when reached by the NH, but proffered that its formation is not a party directive as purported by the letter.

The District Chief Executive, Nicholas Negble confirmed receipt of the letter but insisted that the idea was misplaced. “According to government rules, there is no place or structure for a District Implementation Committee,” he told the paper.He said he has had discussions with members of the Committee but is not obliged to go into any such agreement with them.

“As far as I am concerned, no such directive has come from the party headquarters,” he added.Ironically, despite efforts by the president to discourage sitting Assembly Members from turning themselves into solicitors of contracts with his recent directive that no Assembly Member be awarded contracts, a member of the Committee and a government appointee to the District Assembly Mr. Agbolo has been awarded the contract for the fencing of the residence of the DCE.

Although the DCE who is also the chairman of the tender board maintained that Agbolo’s company won the contract through open tender, insiders say, it was awarded to him before it came to the notice of the District Tender Board. “This is a clear case of conflict of interest and a complete breach of the president’s directive; Agbolo needs to be sacked,” one of the complainants told the paper at Akatsi. He informed the paper via telephone that he awarded the contract to Mr. Agbolo on the basis of the performance of his company which insiders say is a mere spin because according to them, “as a government appointee, Agbolo has flouted the president’s directive and so must be sacked.”

Their conclusion? These practices go to further fuel the perception of official indifference to corruption, which must not be left unpunished.When reached for his comments on the matter, the MP for the area, Doe Adjaho maintained a stoic silence. According to him, “they make it difficult for me to attend tender board meetings. I get my letters late and so I have directed that when those letters come late, they should not be accepted on my behalf. I therefore have no comments on the matter.”