EC BOSS BLOWS $71M,GH¢249M WITHOUT APPROVAL

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, August 31, 2017

Details of the second petition that is seeking the impeachment of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, are coming out.

The petitioner, Douglass Seidu, a lawyer, is claiming that Mrs Osei was in breach of public procurement practices and provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663), as well as gross financial mismanagement. He accused the EC boss of awarding contracts amounting to GH¢249,081,895.03 and $71,406,388.80 respectively without following the required procurement processes and laws.

The petition, which was filed on August 18 at the office of the president, claimed Mrs Charlotte Osei unilaterally awarded contracts in the run-up to the 2016 general elections without recourse to the 7-member commission.

There are 15 allegations leveled against the EC boss in the fresh petition, and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reportedly forwarded the petition to the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, pursuant to Article 146 (3) of the 1992 Constitution. Charlotte Osei has up to September 5, 2017 to respond to a previous petition.

The new petition has been titled: ‘In the matter of Article 46 of the 1992 Constitution and in the matter of the removal of the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei, from office on the grounds of stated misbehaviour and incompetence.’

According to the petitioner, the action is being initiated pursuant to Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, to trigger impeachment proceedings against the EC chairperson.

Giving the grounds for triggering the impeachment proceedings, the petitioner claimed that in the 2016 fiscal year, “The respondent unilaterally awarded various contracts in respect of voters’ registration, exhibition of the voters’ register and general elections, which contracts amount to GH¢249,081,895.03 and $71,406,388.80 respectively without following the required procurement processes and laws.”

According to Mr Douglass Seidu, the EC boss allegedly failed, neglected and refused “to subject the said contracts to the Entity Tender Board and the Tender Review Committees, contrary to Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) (as amended).”

The petitioner attached as exhibit a summary for the said contracts awarded by Mrs. Osei allegedly without recourse to the Entity and Tender Review Committee, as well as the copies for the actual contract.

Mr Douglass Seidu further claimed that Mrs Osei, without recourse to the committee, unilaterally awarded contracts to IT Market Limited and Ideyas Design Agency, amounting to GH¢1,823,625 and GH¢19,800 respectively in apparent breach of the requirements for tender under the Public Procurement Act; and attached exhibits to that effect.

“The respondent failed, neglected and refused to submit a contract awarded to Dream Oval Limited to competitive tender and unilaterally awarded a contract amounting to $32,510, to Dream Oval Limited for the development and redesign of the website of the EC, contrary to Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663).”

According to Mr Seidu, Dream Oval Limited was introduced to the commission by Ms Charlotte Osei and therefore awarding the company the contract, she fell into a conflict of interest situation.

Procurement Powers

The petitioner claimed that in order to “arrogate procurement powers to herself, the EC boss, upon assumption of office, has been chairing both the Entity Tender Board and the Tender Review Committee of the commission at the same time.

“The respondent has collapsed the Tender Review Committee and constituted herself into a sole member of the review committee by sidelining the two deputy chairpersons, who by law are also supposed to be members,” the petitioner alleged.

He said, “This action resulted in the respondent being the sole reviewer and awarding authority at the EC, in clear breach of oversight responsibility in public procurement,” adding, “This has resulted to situations where the respondent unilaterally approves and awards contracts without minutes from the Tender Review Committee.”

EC Letterhead

Mr Seidu claimed that the EC chairperson again awarded a contract amounting to GH¢154,218 for printing a customized letterhead “after unilaterally changing the logo of the EC,” and the contract had been unilaterally awarded by the commissioner without recourse to the entire commission.

“The respondent insisted that the customized letterhead should have the names of all the commissioners embossed on it. This has the proclivity of causing financial loss to the state in the event that a member of the EC was to retire in the near future,” Mr Seidu noted.

Private Company

“The unwavering desire for the respondent to treat the EC as if it was her private company underscores her overt lack of understanding of public administration and amounts to incompetence,” the petition stated.

According to the petitioner, Mrs Osei also spent  GH¢265,051.46 “on her unilateral decision to rebrand the EC. This needless misappropriation of national resources by a public official must be of grave concern to every Ghanaian.”

Initial Petition

Already, there is an initial petition from unnamed EC staff who are being led by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei, which is pending before the Chief Justice.

A litany of allegations have been leveled against her, including spending GH¢3.9 million to partition an office, receipt of a Toyota Land Cruiser from the erstwhile Mahama-led NDC government, spending about $14 million when the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) had authorized her to use only $7.5 million, as well as attending Cabinet meetings during the tenure of President John Dramani Mahama, among other issues.

Preliminary Investigations

As a result, preliminary investigations into the purported abuse of power and corruption scandal commenced recently.

The Chief Justice reportedly wrote officially to the embattled EC boss to respond to the damning allegations that could lead to her impeachment.

The two other commissioners - Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, in-charge of Corporate Services - who have running battles with Mrs. Osei, were equally being written to for the provision of answers to counter petitions against them, seeking their respective removals from office. That petition was said to have been initiated by someone who is said to be very close to Charlotte Osei.

Legal experts say that if a prima facie case is established against any of the commissioners during the preliminary investigations, the Chief Justice, per the rules, will then set up a committee to fully investigate the issues and a report submitted to the president - who forwarded the petitions for action.

CID PROBES NANA BOYS OVER CORRUPTION

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, August 31, 2017

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to investigate three of his appointees who have been accused of corruption.

They include two Deputy Chiefs of Staff - Samuel Abu Jinapor and Francis Asenso-Boakye - and Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.

He has also charged the people making the allegations to make themselves available to the CID to substantiate their claims.

Controversial musician and satirist, Kwame Asare Obeng popularly called Kwame A-Plus, recently alleged that the two deputy chiefs of staff were involved in corruption-related activities and as a result, the president has asked the Financial Forensic Unit of the CID to look into the matter.

Presidential Audience

A-Plus, who is a member of the ruling NPP, said on radio yesterday that he was at the seat of government on Tuesday and the president granted him audience.

He later said he apologized to him (president) for making the allegations public instead of using the appropriate channels.

 “The approach was very wrong. I have apologized to the president especially,” he said on Citi FM.

“It is not being public that will solve the issue. It is about getting it to the right authorities and making sure that it is sorted out. It was a very wrong approach. I have apologized. Any opportunity that I have, I will apologize for the approach. The method was very wrong,” he expressed.

A-Plus, however, did not take back his allegations against the two deputy chiefs of staff when probed, according to Citi FM.

He had posted on his page on social media platform - Facebook - that “…7 months of NPP government. So far so good, except appointing some very corrupt officials, including the two.......deputy chiefs of staff. It’s amazing how Nana was able to appoint two thieves........Arrogant and corrupt.... You think you’ll be in power forever. Even John Mahama, I was not afraid of him, then you (sic).”

In the case of the communications minister, the CID has been asked to look into the allegation made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, that the award of the contract to produce National Identification Cards by the National Identification Authority (NIA) was riddled with corruption.

There are other allegations made by the MP which are being investigated by the CID, including the one he claimed there are some people at the presidency and in the NPP who are charging $20,000 from private individuals who want to gain access to President Nana Akufo-Addo at the Flagstaff House.

Mr Agyepong has confirmed that the CID got in touch with him last Friday before the NPP’s National Delegates’ Conference was held in Cape Coast, the Central regional capital, the following day, where the president declared that he wouldn’t allow any of his appointees to rock his boat.

The MP said on Adom FM on Tuesday that there was festering corruption at the Flagstaff House and that it was not limited to the two deputy chiefs of staff.

He indicated his readiness to cooperate with the investigators.

Asenso Replies

One of the deputy chiefs of staff, Francis Asenso-Boakye, incensed by A-Plus’ allegation, also took to the same social media to reject the accusation leveled against him by the musician-turned politician.

“Indulging in baseless accusations and unsubstantiated claims of corruption and arrogance is beneath you and frankly discredits you in the eyes of right-thinking Ghanaians. As the President noted at the just-ended NPP Conference, he is willing and ready to look into any case of alleged corruption. You may kindly take up his generous offer and present your case to him,” he fought back.

President’s Commitment

At the NPP’s progrmme in Cape Coast, President Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to stem corruption in the country and warned his appointees that he was not going to shield anybody found to be corrupt.

“Let me reassure you of one thing. Any allegation about corruption against any official member of my government will be investigated by the law enforcement agencies. And those who made that allegation better be prepared to support it when they are making these allegations of corruption because nobody is going to get away with it,” the President said.

The president also said he has “instructed the law enforcement agencies to investigate every allegation of corruption in my government”.

MORE NAMES POP UP IN SSNIT’S SCANDAL

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Some of the faces behind the $72 million Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) scandal that has set tongues wagging are beginning to unravel.

In what can be seen as a clear case of conflict of interest, a source has told DAILY GUIDE that the head of the troubled biometric project dubbed, Operation Business Suite (OBS) at SSNIT is allegedly in a relationship with the vendor whose company was contracted to install the OBS software.

The contract was awarded to Perfect Business System/ Silver Lake Consortium in 2011 during the Mills/Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration at an initial bidding cost of $27,610,791, but by 2016 the total cost had ballooned to $66 million and now $72 million, although the installed OBS software is not running as expected.

The company was one of the highest bidders but SSNIT settled on it, looking down on lower bidders with potential value for money indicators. 

Key Figures

The head of the OBS project is John Hagan Mensah, a confidant of the immediate past SSNIT Director-General, Ernest Thompson, who is said to be very close to Juliet Kramah, CEO of Perfect Business System.

Unconfirmed sources believe that the Perfect Business System boss has strong links with the powerful former first family, and it is alleged that invoices emanating from the private firm appeared to have gone through without any serious queries at the Trust.

Last Gap Payments

According to the sources, on December 9, last year, Mr Ernest Thompson allegedly ordered the payment of $9 million to Perfect Business Systems after the NDC had lost the election in 2016 and was on its way out of power.

SSNIT allegedly agreed to pay $4 per card that was to be issued to pensioners in the contract but the amount increased miraculously to $7 and the Trust ended up paying the private company $7.1 million for one million cards.

According to sources, the whole project was not based on SSNIT’s requirement and that the vendor reportedly came in with an already prepared provident fund system in order to modify it for SSNIT - which runs social security.

Fund Modification

The provident fund modification was not SSNIT’s idea but the decision of the project manager and the private firm.

The sources said when SSNIT requested for thumbprint devices that could scan all the 10 fingers at once, the vendor provided single-finger devices and therefore, a contributor registering needed to put the fingers on the device one at a time, thereby wasting productive hours.

“When staff complained, it was never provided. Meanwhile, SSNIT paid for the 10 devices at a whopping cost,” source intimated.

Batch System

The source said the vendor could not provide the OBS software but rather brought a batch system where a client could only see his/her data reflecting after a day, saying “SSNIT staff cannot work 24 hours because every staff is asked to sign out of the system after 5pm else the whole SSNIT or that SSNIT branch cannot work the following day.”

There were several outstanding issues, according to the source, that needed to be sorted out regarding the OBS project; and anytime the company was asked to correct a defect it allegedly asked the Trust to pay hefty bills.

The source said SSNIT caused the transfer of qualified staff who had deep insight into the OBS project and brought in the Director-General’s alleged lackeys, including the head of IT, Caleb K. Afaglo - who has been caught allegedly using fake degree.

Inflated Cost

Already, details have emerged about how officials of SSNIT inflated prices in the contracts for the automation of the Trust’s systems; the total sum of which is now hovering around $72 million.

It turned out that SSNIT paid a whopping $500,000 for a product that costs $16,000 on the world market.

Crazy Deal

Bright B. Simons, the Director of Development Research at IMANI-Ghana, a think-tank, and Coordinator of the mPedigree Network, has described the massive over-pricing as 'crazy deal.’

He said simple checks of an IBM hardware sold on the market for $16,000 was bought for more than $500,000.

"They want us to believe that they bought it for more than $500,000. Are you crazy? We don't lie about stuff like that...it is a catalogue matter," he said on Joy FM in Accra.

Legal Objection

It even emerged that SSNIT’s Senior Corporate Law Officer, Jaezel Orleans-Lindsay, wrote to warn the Trust’s management against certain aspect of the contract that was being exploited by the private company.

“What it means is that SSNIT will have to pay the annual SLA fee of $2,000,000. Immediately upon signing the agreement (to cover for September 2104 to September 2015) and pay another $2,000,000 in September this year - when in effect it would have just received 9 months of service under the SLA instead of the contractual 2 years. This is objectionable!” the lawyer said in a letter to his bosses on January 16, 2016.

FRESH PETITION HITS CHARLOTTE OSEI

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

The woes of embattled Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, appear not to be over, as a fresh petition has been filed against her.

The petition was filed on August 18 at the presidency seeking impeachment proceedings to be initiated against her over alleged breach of public procurement practices and provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663), as well as gross financial mismanagement.

A source said the petitioner is not a staff of the EC but a concerned Ghanaian, who wants the conduct of Mrs. Osei to be investigated as EC boss on grounds of stated misbehaviour and incompetence.

At least there are 15 allegations leveled against the EC boss in the fresh petition, and the petitioner is said to have listed all the offences allegedly committed by Charlotte Osei, who is already enmeshed in a series of controversies.

Some of the allegations involved the unilateral award of contracts by the EC boss in the run-up to the 2016 general election.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reportedly forwarded the petition to the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, pursuant to Article 146 (3) of the 1992 Constitution.

Initial Petition

Already, there is an initial petition from unnamed EC staff who are being led by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, against Mrs. Osei, which is pending before the Chief Justice.

A litany of allegations have been leveled against her, including spending GH¢3.9 million to partition an office, receipt of a Toyota Land Cruiser from the erstwhile Mahama-led NDC government, spending about $14 million when the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) had authorized her to use only $7.5 million, as well as attending Cabinet meetings during the tenure of President John Dramani Mahama, among other issues.

Preliminary Investigations

As a result, preliminary investigations into the purported abuse of power and corruption scandal commenced recently.

The Chief Justice reportedly wrote officially to the embattled EC boss to respond to the damning allegations that could lead to her impeachment.

The two other commissioners, Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, in-charge of Corporate Services - who have running battles with Mrs. Osei - were equally being written to for the provision of answers to counter petitions against them, seeking their respective removals from office. That petition was said to have been initiated by someone who is said to be very close to Charlotte Osei.

Legal experts say that if a prima facie case is established against any of the commissioners during the preliminary investigations, the Chief Justice, per the rules, will then establish a committee to fully investigate the issues and a report submitted to the president - who forwarded the petitions for action.

Fight Back

Mrs Charlotte Osei, through her lawyers - Sory@Law - who are also the commission’s external solicitors, hit back at her accusers, insisting that she had not been corrupt or abused her office and rather accused her two deputies of deliberately scheming to frustrate her stay in office.

The chairperson, in her initial response, openly accused Ms. Opoku-Amankwaa of signing contracts worth over $40 million without her knowledge and authorization between May and September 2015.

Illegal Transfer

She also turned her attention on Mr Amadu Sulley and said apart from transferring votes illegally in the run-up to the 2016 general election, he (Sulley) also pocketed a huge amount of money from some political parties.

Accusations and counter accusations have since ensued between the EC boss and her two deputies, who are fighting back strongly, trying to parry the chairperson’s allegations.

Legal Impediment

However, before the formal preliminary investigations could commence, a private citizen, Ayamga Yakubu Akoglo, had filed a writ at the Supreme Court, seeking to prevent the Chief Justice from going ahead to investigate the EC boss.

The case is yet to be determined, as the Supreme Court is currently on its annual legal vacation.

The plaintiff, who has also cited the Attorney General in the suit, wants the court to declare the action being initiated against the EC boss by the Judicial Council as unconstitutional, void and of no effect.

He is claiming that the issues raised in the petition against Charlotte Osei had nothing to do with her core functions as prescribed under Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution and as a result, did not warrant her removal per Article 46 (1) of the Constitution, describing the petition as ‘defective.’

$72 SSNIT SCANDAL…EOCO PROBES IT BOSS FOR FAKE DEGREES

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

The man appointed to spearhead the scandal-prone Social Security National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) multimillion Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, Caleb Afaglo, reportedly has no certificate.

The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) is investigating Mr. Afaglo, who heads SSNIT’s Management Information Systems, for presenting fake documents for the top job.

According to EOCO sources, Mr Afaglo, who claims to be a doctorate degree holder, does not have any such certificate but got the plum job as General Manager MIS - under Joshua Alabi as Board Chairman and Ernest Thompson as Director General.

He neither has a masters’ degree nor first degree, EOCO revealed.

The officer has therefore been interdicted to allow EOCO to probe him.

The interdiction comes at a time when there is public disaffection over SSNIT’s reckless spending of $72 million for software acquisition for its operations.

Interestingly, the $72 million Operational Business Suite (OBS) software procured from La-based Perfect Business System in Accra, is reportedly not working to specification.  

Perfect Business System is headed by a certain Juliet Kramah, who is said to be close to the immediate past first family.

The contract, awarded in 2012, was to automate processes at the Trust.

The initial contract sum was $34 million but the Trust ended up spending more within the period of four years.

According to the current Director-General of SSNIT, Dr. John Ofori Tenkorang, the current state of the software leaves SSNIT with more cost due to intermittent repairs and maintenance.

 “The last time a number was communicated to me, the number stood at $72 million but I can tell you that the system is still not functioning as it should, and each time we have to make revisions or get certain corrections made; these things are billed as change requests which are also billable so until the system is fully deployed and working properly, there is a chance that the number will be bigger than what I’ve actually mentioned to you right now,” he told Citi Fm in Accra.

Fraud

EOCO uncovered the fraud during investigations into Afaglo’s crucial role in the scandal regarding the multi-million dollar digitization contract.

According to EOCO, Mr Afaglo was selected as the General Manager of the MIS because of his ‘impeccable’ credentials.

He had been sacked in previous employments for allegedly presenting fake documents, the anti-graft agency has said.

Inflated Cost

Details are emerging about how officials of SSNIT inflated prices in the contracts for the automation of the Trust’s systems - the total sum of which is now hovering around over $72 million.

It turned out that SSNIT paid a whopping $500,000 for a product that costs $16,000 on the world market.

Main Contractor

The contract was awarded to Perfect Business System/ Silver Lake Consortium in 2011 during the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, but in 2016 the total cost had ballooned to $66 million, and now $72 million, although the OBS Software installed is not running as expected.

To make matters worse, the server to the OBS Software, which was supposed to be a turnkey, is sitting somewhere in Malaysia and additionally, SSNIT does not have the copyright to the software, even after spending so much on the whole project.

Crazy Deal

Bright B. Simons, the Director of Development Research at IMANI-Ghana and Coordinator of mPedigree Network, has described the massive over-pricing as 'crazy deal.’

He said simple checks of an IBM hardware sold on the market for $16,000 was bought for more than $500,000.

"They want us to believe they bought it for more than 500,000 dollars. Are you crazy? We don't lie about stuff like that...it is a catalogue matter," he said on Joy FM in Accra yesterday.

Varied Contract

Mr Simons said Ghanaians have cause to be angry because the public has been ripped off in the deals, adding that per the terms of the tender bid, the contract sum was not to be varied beyond 14%, but it ended up being varied by about 100%.

He explained that SSNIT painted a picture of an ICT project that required some complex technical components and expertise when they are simply ordinary components.

"A lot of the challenge ...is that even though some of the items are perfectly mundane, they are being priced as if some specialist skills were needed," he observed.

Bright Simons said SSNIT's request to the project execution companies - Perfect Business Solutions and Silverlake Consortium - was needless because it could have gotten all that it needed by dealing directly with the manufacturer in Malaysia or simply buying online.

Online Check

“Anybody can go online, go to the producer's website and check the prices so you don't need a system integrator with some specialist skills. There is no procurement specialty in this thing,” he underscored.

Mr Simons also faulted the technical ability of the company selected to integrate systems at SSNIT, wondering, "Which of them had the experience to be system integrators?"

He said Silverlake deals in insurance management systems or provident fund management solutions, and added that the contract could have been done by seven other companies, each supplying a service based on their specialty.

"We had a situation whereby people who are not very good at system integration taking a contract, even though designed as a system integration contract, is packaged as software development contract. And they are going around with sub-contractors and padding the cost," Mr Simons lamented.

Bidding Companies

Prices quoted by 10 companies that bid for the OBS Project - which was given to Perfect Business System/Silver Lake Consortium – have been revealed.

Computer Information System’s bid was $36,509,543; Superlock Technologies Limited (STL) quoted $35,990,850; KPMG bid $32,168,621; BSystems/Technologies.Systech, the 4^th highest bidder, presented $31,908,441.

Krane International put in a bid of $27,879,298; the ultimate winner, Perfect Business System/Silver Lake Consortium, which was the 6^th highest bidder, presented $27,610,791, Cedar Consortium Systems, $23,873,93; Provision Consultants, $20,648,678; Person Systems - the only company that quoted local currency - GH¢17,401,846 and Sambus Company Limited, $9,891,732.

Mr Simons expressed concern about how a hardware retailer whom he said had ‘zero experience’ developing complex enterprise software system, won a multi-million dollar SSNIT contract to furnish this incredibly complex organisation with a full-spectrum, so-called, 'operational business suite', which system is supposed to encompass every layer of the organisation's operational activities.

The rationale behind the whole project was to reduce the amount of paper work involved in processing pensions and cut the time spent by the already stressed retirees; but DAILY GUIDE understands it has rather come to worsen the overhead costs of SSNIT.

NDC’s Fear & Panic

During the weekend, the immediate-past SSNIT Director-General, Ernest Thompson, who supervised the massive ‘rip-off,’ admitted on radio that the Trust was doing the project but was not sure about the scope, adding that it was able to get some deliverables.

Already, two NDC gurus seem to be robbing each other’s name in the mud in what appears to be a desperate attempt to distance themselves from the stinky deal that has caused public uproar.

The revelation of the deal is apparently causing tension among members of the NDC, with Prof. Joshua Alabi, describing the confusion among the rank and file of the NDC as a ‘dog bites dog’ situation.

He appeared to have shifted the blame on his predecessor, Kwame Peprah, under whose chairmanship of the SSNIT Board the deal was cooked.

Mr Peprah, one-time Finance Minister, who was jailed for causing financial loss to the state, rejected the claim.

Details are even emerging about how a lawyer for SSNIT objected to the inclusion of certain aspects in the contract, which he said was going to have serious financial consequences for the Trust.

EC BOSS’ COVER BLOWN OVER GH¢230M EXTRA CASH

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, August 25, 2017

A report of the Special Budget Committee of Parliament has revealed how the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) Charlotte Osei, requested for more money for the commission, although the general elections have been concluded.

She was demanding approval for the balance of GH¢223,000,751 from GH¢1,093,000,751 which was required for the 2016 general elections.

However, an audit report indicated that initial money allocated for the commission was more than enough.

Initial Release

The former Finance Minister Seth Terkper had released GH¢870,000,000 out of GH¢1,093,000,751, but the breakdown of the expenses of the commission put before the Special Budget Committee showed that it spent GH¢800,000,000 for the entire election.

In the Hansard of March 30, 2017 – specifically, columns 4815 to 4818 - the committee reveals how the EC boss demanded GH¢223,000,751 as outstanding payments for the 2016 elections - when the audited arrears are far less.

However, sources say the audit revealed that even though the GH¢223 million owed to contractors, vendors, suppliers and election officials was paid between November and December 2016 by the commission, the amount was still submitted to the Ministry of Finance and parliament in February and March this year as outstanding liabilities.

“Our audit further revealed that even though the GHc223m owed to contractors, vendors, suppliers and election officials were paid between November and December 2016, the amount was still submitted to the Ministry of Finance and parliament in February and March 2017 respectively as outstanding liabilities. Details of the payments made with their corresponding dates are provided...,” the report indicated.

Regular Meetings

According to the report, the committee was able to meet the commissioners on three occasions to interrogate the budget of the commission, saying, “Remarkably, the collaboration among the committee, the commission and the Ministry of Finance resulted in the downward revision of the requested amount on all three occasions that the meetings were held.”

According to the report, the committee, after the three meetings, were requested to probe the EC figures further but no further work was done.

“The committee is of the view that the commission must not allow the integrity of the figures they submit to be assailed rampantly,” the report stressed.

Details of the payments made with their corresponding dates provided showed that between May and December last year, the commission paid a total of GH¢96,502,379.83 and $42,151,987.43 to various vendors ranging from services like VMS upgrade, warranty and maintenance, supply of cartridges, printers, biometric verification device (BVD) and biometric registration kits.

Between November 29 and December 16, 2016, the EC paid various printing firms like Ghana Publishing Corporation, Yasarko Press, Fonstat Limited, Innolink, Check Point and Acts Commercial Limited a total of GH¢15,160,059.65 as contracts for printing Notice of Polls.

Offshore Materials

On payment for offshore election materials between July 4 and December 15, Ditrac was paid GH¢18,056,556.30 as final payment for the supply of indelible ink, Armstrong Limited and Sani-Salley Enterprise got GH¢5,851,476.00 each for the supply of rechargeable lamps while Enus Company Limited was paid GH¢47,695,200.00 for supplying voting screens.

Nel Supplies had GH¢377,806.60 for the supply of laminates; Paul Kenny Ventures received GH¢8,821,392.00 for supplying AA Alkaline Batteries, Ditrac was given an advanced payment of GH¢1,534,420.00 for the supply of indelible ink; Aero Vote Security Printing Ghana Limited received GH¢8,501,131.51 for the supply of forms; EL and Baynet Limited was paid GH¢672,521.81 for the supply of endorsing ink - bringing the total to GH¢105,143,788.62.

On the Election Results Management System (ERMS) Brown Kasaro was paid a total of GH¢242,646.45 for customization (of ERMS) while Dunia Ramazani received GH¢82,797.13 and GH¢70,465.34 respectively for consultancy fees for ERMS.

IT Markets Limited got four different payments of GH¢88,390.10, GH¢234,305.00, GH¢188,670.00 and GH¢346,500.00 for the supply of ERMS software, network switches and cables for ERMS, hardware for ERMS and HDMI video switches.

Perfect Business Systems supplied laptops, computers, monitors, laptop bags and monitors at the cost of GH¢1,094,500.00, GH¢2,704,500.00 and GH¢308,717.95 and the various mobile phone networks - Airtel, Vodafone, MTN and Tigo – GH¢2,534,877.54, GH¢1,104,245.61 GH¢202,282.64 and GH¢2,749,996.74 were paid for the provision of virtual private network at a grand total of GH¢11,952,894.50.

The commission transferred a total of GH¢858,270.00 as the fourth quarter administrative expenses to the regions and a total of GH¢51,807,650.00 as election allowance to the regions with 25% election allowance - hitting GH¢4,447,847.56.

Commissioners’ Mistrust

The Special Budget Committee Report concluded that the committee generally made observation to the effect that “There are deep-seated mistrust among members of the commission, especially between the chairperson and the deputy commissioners. This undoubtedly negatively impacts on the operations of the commission.”

The committee recommended, “The chairperson and members of the commission should deal with one another in a much more open and transparent manner in order to eradicate the existing mistrust and also win the confidence of one another for harmonious working relations and in the supreme interest of the country.”

RED CARD FOR IBRAHIM…EPA SAYS NO GALAMSEY AS YOUTHGIVE 24-HOUR ULTIMATUM

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has dismissed Exton Cubic Group Limited’s claim that it has environmental permit to mine bauxite in a forest reserve at Nyinahin in the Ashanti Region.

According to the EPA, the company, which is owned by former President John Dramani Mahama’s younger brother, Ibrahim Mahama - with his wife Oona Maxwell, his brother Michael Mahama, as well as a certain Kweku Pobee as directors - will be acting illegally if it goes ahead with its activities without recourse to the environmental overseer.

Controversial Lease

Exton Cubic Group Limited was controversially granted a long lease concession by the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration on December 29, 2016 when that administration had lost the December 7 general elections miserably and was on its way out of office.

The company moved heavy-duty machines into the forest at Nyinahin at the beginning of the week with intent to start exploratory activities but was stopped by both the district and the regional authorities.

Peter Abum Sarkodie, Executive Director of the EPA, issued a statement yesterday, saying that the company had not obtained the required permit to enable them to mine bauxite in the area.

Public Interest

“The attention of the EPA has been drawn to a situation that has arisen regarding an attempt by Exton Cubic Group Limited to enter the Nyinahin bauxite deposit area for the purpose of undertaking mining activities,” the statement indicated, adding, “As a result of the public interest in the matter, the EPA would like to clarify the position of Exton Cubic Group Limited’s Environmental permit status under its mining lease (that is a necessary condition for any mining activity).

“The bottom line is that Exton Cubic Group Limited has not obtained the required EPA permit under its mining lease and therefore any attempt to enter the area for mining activity is illegal.”

Unfolding Events 

According to the EPA, Ibrahim’s company applied for three separate Environmental Permits from the EPA to undertake prospecting of bauxite on its Mprasaso, Kiriyaso and Kyekyewere concessions in the Ashanti Region covering a total of 346.08 sq km on 29^th March, 2016 and the EPA granted the Environmental Permits to Exton Cubic Group Limited on 7^th June, 2016.

“The company, among other conditions, was to notify the EPA as soon as prospecting activities commenced and also to submit within three months from the date of issuance of the Environmental Permits a liability estimate of environmental degradation to enable the posting of the Reclamation Bond in line with Regulation 23 of the Environmental Assessment Regulation 1999 (LI 1652).

Exton Cubic Group Limited unfortunately reneged on all these conditions. The prospecting permits are therefore no longer valid,” EPA stressed.

The statement said that Exton Cubic subsequently acquired a Mining Lease on 29^th December, 2016 from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, adding, “This mining lease requires a new EPA permit which has not been granted by the EPA.”

Documents

The EPA said its discussions with Exton Cubic Group Limited and its consultants indicated that there were some documents the company was required to produce in order to support their application for an EPA permit under the Mining Lease.

Exton Cubic Group Limited was required to submit to EPA a “No objection” letter from cabinet, completion and submission of statutory environmental assessment form (EA2); and notification from the EPA to the company to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment, which would have led to a broader public consultation and “public hearing” within the relevant catchment communities in line with Regulation 17 of the Environmental Assessment Regulations (LI 1652).

“Failure of the company to comply with the above stated conditions as at the time of the issuance of this press release has rendered all environmental permits null and void,” the statement said, adding “Again, the EPA wishes to state that any mining activity to be conducted by the Exton Cubic Group Limited within the concession areas, of which Environmental Permit is sought is not consistent with the Environmental Assessment Procedures of the EPA, LI1652 and is therefore illegal.”

Turf War

The controversial bauxite mining concession granted to Exton Cubic Group Limited appeared to have pitched two ministers in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration against each other.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, expressed regret that the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu, was encouraging Ibrahim to move his equipment to the Nyinahin bauxite site for mining when there is a ban on mining in the region.

Mr Ibrahim Mahama moved his Engineers and Planners (E&P) heavy-duty equipment to the site on behalf of Exton Cubic Group Limited at the beginning of the week, but was prevented by the residents and the DCE of the area.

The equipment were later confiscated at Nyinahin and some of the company’s officers allegedly detained.

Later, Exton Cubic accused Mr. Osei-Mensah and the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Atwima Mponua, Williams Darko, of unlawfully impounding E&P’s vehicles and detaining its officers.

Regional Minister

The Ashanti Regional Minister confirmed to the media that he had indeed given the directive after the DCE had informed him of the activity on the concession.

“They asked whether I knew anything about it and I told them I had no knowledge about it and that they should impound the vehicles until we get authorization from the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources; and then I called the police to impound the vehicles.

Amewu’s Response

Mr Amewu has confirmed that his outfit granted Exton Cubic Group Limited entry permit into the Nyinahin bauxite concession in the Tano Offin Forest Reserve to prospect for bauxite.

 “This project commenced somewhere in 2013. They began the due diligence processes through which they were granted the prospective lease in 2015. They have the entry permit from the Forestry Commission and the necessary EPA was done during the exploration period,” he claimed.