IT FAILURE KILLED NDC RIGGING PLAN

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By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday, July 08, 2017

It is becoming increasingly clear that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) desperately hatched a plan to rig the December 7, 2016 general elections.

However, the plan failed because of extra measures put in place by then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Opponents of the NDC had always claimed the then (NDC) government designed a systematic rigging plan but Information Technology (IT) system breakdown on election day thwarted any effort to ‘rig’ the elections and deny the people the rightful winner of the election.

Comments being made following the release of the report of the 13-member Kwesi Botchwey Committee the party set up to investigate why it woefully lost the 2016 general elections appear to imply that the party’s candidate, John Dramani Mahaha, who was seeking re-election, was unprepared as far as the collation of the results were concerned and were ‘relying’ heavily on the Electoral Commission’s (EC’s) alleged tacit support to hang on to power.

This revelation has angered some leading members of the party.

They wonder how the party is going to win at basic collation centres.

Alhaji Sanni, a former Ashanti Region Chairman of the NDC, who described the party’s 2016 defeat to the New Patriotic Party as the “mother of all defeats,” said the party had no collation centre in the region, even though it had made a lot of noise about winning 1.5 million votes.

He stated that the party did not prepare properly for the important elections, yet the leadership constantly bragged that they were winning the polls.

Another NDC activist, Della Coffie, was not charitable to the handlers of John Mahama who led the NDC to the embarrassing defeat.

Della said, “Are we too daft or too scared to see the truth? Six clear months after such a humiliating electoral defeat, the NDC cannot even boast of its own independent collated results (something which took the NPP six hours to put together after close of poll). And yet folks who led us into this political abyss, obviously suffering from withdrawal syndrome, are busy telling us that the same man who reduced our electoral fortunes from 50.7 in 2012 to 44.4 in 2016, as an INCUMBENT, is our best bet going forward, and these guys think we should just trust and obey and follow sheepishly without asking questions?"

“The lies we tell ourselves can be very nauseating at times. Unbelievable!”

Report Submission

The 455-page report submitted on behalf of the committee by its Chairman, Professor Kwesi Botchwey, had recommended, among other things, that the party must find ways and means to ‘improve the collation of election results.”

In fact, Prof. Botchwey, during the handing over of the report, said that it was time for the party to find means of collating its own results from polling stations to the top ‘independently.’

The Committee’s recommendation on collation of election results feeds into the widely held perception that the NDC had all along been having a ‘secret affair’ with the EC when it came to issues of election collation.

Secret Collaboration

It’s being alleged that during the keenly-contested December 7, 2016 general elections, the NDC tied results collation platform to the EC’s system and therefore when the commission suffered results transmission breakdown, the party was found wanting.

By the time the transmission glitch was restored by the commission, the then opposition NPP had collated more than 80% of the pink sheets which represented over 24,000 out of 29,000 polling stations, and knew their candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was winning hands down.

Comfortable Lead

During the time difficulties were being encountered by the EC in respect of the results transmission, the NDC told the public that its flagbearer was in ‘comfortable lead.’

At an Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting recently, the EC allegedly admitted that it suffered IT system crash during the collation of the 2016 results.

Kofi Adams, NDC National Organizer, who doubled as Campaign Coordinator for John Mahama, also claimed after the crashing defeat that IT system failed the NDC, without providing any explanation since the country doesn’t vote electronically.

Pelpuo’s Bombshell

Another leading member of the party, Rashid Pelpuo, has also thrown a bombshell, stating that the party’s collation system broke down ‘completely’ at the most critical moment of the election when the results were trickling in.

The former Minister of State at the presidency, who is currently the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wa Central, said the breakdown made it difficult for the leadership of the NDC to have ‘a full grasp of the turf’ when the NPP began ‘churning’ out some of the results.

He confessed on Citi FM that “as at the time the NPP was churning out results and claiming victory, the NDC had not gotten a grasp of what was happening. Our system even broke down and we could not assess the results the NPP was getting, neither could we see what we were even getting; so there was a problem there.”

Technology Deficient

“Our ability to utilize technology to understand what was happening and to be able to get into the depths to know the votes that we got was lacking, and that eventually was one of our setbacks. Even if you are losing, you still need to know that you are losing.

“We were being told we were losing from our opponents and we did not have enough information to counter it. There was a technological deficit.

“There was inadequacy in technology in responding to the challenge at the time, and I believe it is one of the areas that will be tackled in the very near future when we are going into the next elections,” he averred.

JAIL DZIFA ATTIVOR; NDC CHAIRMAN TELLS NANA ADDO

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By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday, July 08, 2017

The troubles of former Minister of Transport, Dzifa Aku Attivor, are beginning to resurface following a call by colleague opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) member that she should be prosecuted and possibly jailed.

Bismark Tawiah Boateng, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the NDC, says he does not understand why Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is allowing the former minister to walk freely when she has a case to answer in the infamous bus branding saga that sparked heated political debate.

The NDC Chairman told Okay FM in Accra that Madam Attivor needs to be invited by the new government without delay to explain issues surrounding the branding agreement that was reached between the Ministry of Transport and actress Sellasie Ibrahim’s Smarttys Management and Productions Ltd for the branding of 116 Metro Mass Transport (MMT) buses at a staggering cost of GH¢3.6 million.

The branding had become a wasted exercise with the defeat of John Mahama, who apparently wanted to use it to gain electoral advantage as his picture and those of past presidents of Ghana were embossed on the buses, with only his portrait appearing in full colour.

“You see some of these things contributed to the party’s (NDC) defeat, but nobody paid attention to it,” Mr Tawiah Boateng noted.

According to the NDC guru, the NPP government should be bold enough to invite Madam Attivor for questioning and not entertain the fear that the government will be accused of witch-hunting its political opponents.

“The Nana Addo government should not tell us that because of witch-hunting they will let her go scot-free. No! She should be invited by the NPP government and explain to Ghanaians issues about the bus branding,” he urged.

Sometime in April, 2016, Dzifa Attivor, who had resigned as Minister of Transport following the GH¢3.6 million bus branding scandal, at an NDC public rally at Aflao in the Ketu South Constituency, entreated the people of the Volta Region not to vote for the NPP in the December elections because it (NPP) has a track-record of putting Ewes (people from the region) in jail.

She said that the previous Kufuor administration specifically jailed former NDC appointees, who hail from the region and went on to mention some of them as Dan Abodakpi and the late Victor Selormey.

She stated that if the NPP won the December elections, it would repeat the same thing by jailing only Ewes, including herself.

“When the NPP came to power in 2001, a lot of our people were sent to prison. Victor Selormey, Dan Abordakpi and so on were imprisoned. Was it because no other persons committed crime in Ghana? But it was only Ewes that they jailed… I want to entreat you not to do anything for Fifi Kwetey and I to go to prison. It lies with you all to ensure that no Ewe person goes to prison. So I am pleading with you to work hard and deliver the 120,000 votes target for the party in the constituency,” she was quoted as saying.

Dzifa Attivor’s comment sparked heated political debate, with some opinion leaders and personalities, including former President Jerry John Rawlings, condemning her.

In late October last year – in the heat of the electioneering campaign – Tawiah Boateng, who is calling for the prosecution of Madam Attivor, had said he anticipated tough times for NDC appointees, should the party lose the elections which it eventually did.

The apprehension among some elements of the then Mahama-led NDC administration over the possibility of then opposition leader Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo becoming president became visible when Mr Tawiah Boateng said plainly that the NPP should not be voted for because the opposition leader was capable of jailing them.

But this time round it’s the NDC top man who is calling for the prosecution of his fellow party member.

EGALA FAMILY WANTS ENVOY WITHDRAWN

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By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, July 07, 2017

Family of renowned obstetrician gynecologist Dr. Issah Egala who died recently has made a passionate appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to withdraw the appointment of the practitioner’s wife Fanny Marcel as Ghana’s Ambassador to Turkey.

The Egala Family is currently in a tug-of-war with Madam Marcel, who was recently appointed to head  the Ghana Mission in Turkey, over the exhumation of the body of her husband Dr. Egala, 82, a former Commissioner of Police and also Director of Medical Services of the Ghana Police Service.

It was a solemn scene at the Ghana International Press Centre yesterday when the family of the late Doctor recounted the circumstances under which he died and how they claimed he had been neglected by Madam Marcel.

Alhaji Iddi Egala, a Chartered Accountant who is junior brother to Dr. Egala said the treatment allegedly meted out to his brother by the wife did not make her the right person to serve as Ghana’s envoy and on behalf of the family appealed to the President to reconsider the appointment.

He said it was the wish of Dr. Egala that whenever he died he should not be kept for long and therefore, when he gave up the ghost on May 17, 2017, the family met and decided that he should be buried at the Madina Public Cemetery in Accra the next day which was done.

According to Alhaji Iddi Egala, the wife was in the United States when the death occurred but had ordered that no family member of the husband should step into the Airport Residential Area residence where the couple lived.

He said they got Legon Anglican Church in Accra officials to conduct a burial service for their departed brother saying “at the Police Hospital Morgue the body was conveyed with full Police Honours befitting a retired Commissioner of Police and the police hierarchy was fully represented.”

“Upon Fanny’s arrival to Ghana, her first point of call was the Airport Police Station to report that her husband was dead and buried in her absence,” adding “according to the police she complained that she suspected foul play in the death.”

“He said the police then called Dramani Egala, one of the deceased’s brothers to ask for the medical report and Dramani Egala told the police to go to the police hospital and ask for whatever report they needed as all the records were there.

According to Alhaji Iddi Egala, the police also contacted Amadu Kaleem aka Business who was a close friend of their late brother over Madam Fanny’s complaint and he reportedly told them to direct their investigations into the residence since the house was fitted with CCTV cameras and it was not difficult to determine who moved doctor to the Police Hospital.

He said on June 13, 2017 the deceased family saw a publication in the Daily Graphic with the Headline ‘Burial Service and Interment of the late Dr. Issah Egala’ and became ‘astonished’ because he had been buried and therefore had to issue a rejoinder to disclaim the publication.

Exhumation Exercise

He said a day after the publication, they got information that the tomb of the doctor was being opened and when they rushed to the Madina Cemetery they saw heavily armed policemen exhuming the body.

Alhaji Iddi Egala said when the family enquired from the Police they said they were enforcing a court order but the leader of the team one ASP Kwarteng could not give them the name or contact of the person(s) who sought the court order.

He said later the police tried to create the impression that it was him (Alhaji Iddi Egala) who had asked the police to exhume his brother but said “it was a big lie.”

Sinister Works

“These were the sinister works and machinations of Funny Marcel to by all means, get the late Dr. Issah Egala reburied by her,” adding “indeed the remains of Dr. Egala was exhumed by the police on that faithful day under the instructions of Funny after exactly four weeks of burial. This is an abomination to the Egala family, the Sissala tradition and northerners as a whole. This is unpardonable!”

He said the family had to place a court injunction on the body which was taken to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Morgue for autopsy, saying “Funny’s plan to rebury the deceased at Shiahie Gethsomenie Funeral Home was aborted.”

“The deceased never expected this from Funny who neglected him. She actually left him sick and went to the USA. It is also important to note that Dr. Issah Egala at the age of almost 82 was still going to buy ingredients for cooking at the Agbogbloshie and Malam Atta markets in the company of Amadu Kaleem who can attest aptly to this fact.”

“The Korle Bu Hospital morgue was later instructed not to release the remains to Fanny but to the family rather after the autopsy. Eventually our objective was achieved with the family collecting the remains of Dr. Egala and a subsequent re-burial at the Madina Public Cemetery on July 1, 2017.”

He said it was the Ambassador who converted their relation from Islam to Christianity and both worshiped regularly at Ridge Church, Accra claiming “for sometime until his death, it was a known fact in the church that Issah and Fanny did not get on and had strained relationship and Fanny would often drive off from church leaving Issah to take a taxi or hike a lift home.”

“Issah had no car of his own and had no access to the cars in the house. The Mercedes car he was using had been sold by Fanny,” the family alleged, adding “it was Maggie Prah, a former friend of Fanny who gave Issah car ride to Ridge Church.”

“Issah was so badly treated by his wife and it was common knowledge to all who knew them. Issah was miserable, frustrated and dejected by his wife, who had told some friends that they were divorced,” he alleged.

 “Fanny drained Issah of all his wealth and reduced him to a poor frustrated man,” adding “She finally travelled and left him alone in a bad state both physically and mentally, which finally culminated in his death.”

A lot of friends and sympathizers of the Egala family were at the news conference and one of them, Lepowura Alhaji M.N.D. Jawula even went to the extent of describing her as a ‘witch’ for exhuming the body of the late Dr. Egala, insisting that it was an abomination as far as the customs and traditions of the people of Sissala was concerned.

EC BOSS FIRED! OVER ‘MISSING’ GH¢480,000

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, July 07, 2017

Three top Electoral Commission (EC) officials, including a deputy commissioner, have been interdicted over the commission’s staff welfare fund.

Georgina Opoku Amankwaah, a Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Finance and Administration together with Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi, Chief Accountant and Joseph Asamoah, a Finance Officer, have  been asked to proceed on leave over a missing GH¢480,000 belonging to the workers.

A letter from the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) signed by ACP K.K. Amoah (rtd.), acting Executive Director of EOCO, says it had taken over the case, explaining that “the suspects are assisting in investigations.”

In the letter dated July 4, 2017, addressed to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, EOCO said it was investigating “the loss of about GH¢480,000 from the Endowment Fund at the Electoral Commission.

“The office would be grateful if you would direct the officers listed above to proceed on leave whilst investigation proceeds,” the EOCO letter requested from the EC Chairman, Charlotte Osei.

Pursuant to the EOCO letter, Ms Charlotte Osei wrote to Mrs Opoku Amankwaah asking her to proceed on leave “immediately” and directed her to “kindly forward any pending issues to the office of the Chairperson.

“As you are aware, EOCO is investigating the loss of about GH¢480,000 from the Staff Endowment Fund. Pursuant to the said investigation, EOCO has requested that I direct you to proceed on leave while the investigation proceeds,” the EC chair said in the letter.

Ms Osei said, “This is to ensure the integrity of the investigation,” adding, “During the period of your leave, please, be advised that you are not to undertake any business on behalf of the commission or access any information from the commission until the investigations are concluded.”

The EC Staff Welfare Schemes were inaugurated on 5th June, 2009 to cater for the welfare of those working for the commission and a 13-member board of administrators was set up to administer the management of the Welfare Schemes.

According to the EC, the schemes are ​for Endowment, ​Retirement and ​Funeral and the Board under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Chair (Finance and Administration) and assisted by the Commission member, had its first meeting on 17^th June, 2009 and members were appointed to serve on the various schemes.

The EC said the Board has a representation from the Commission, the Directors, Senior Staff Association and the Local Trade Union of the Commission as well as two other co-opted members. 

It said the schemes had been composed such that the ​Endowment Fund has the Director (Finance), Chief Accountant and Local Union Representative as the members while the ​Retirement Scheme has Director (Human Resource and General Services), Senior Staff Representative, Local Union Representative and a Co-opted Member as its composition.

The commission said the ​Funeral Scheme has Director, Senior Staff Representative, Local Union Representative and a Co-opted Member making its composition and that the commission invested the contributions with NDK Financial Services.

According to the EC, the Endowment Committee was supposed to receive monthly deductions of members of staff for onward submission to NDK Financial Services.

“The audit team identified during the audit that there was non-release of funds (i.e. staff deductions) by the commission to the Fund Managers for onward submission to NDK Financial Services for the period covering March 2014 to October 2014 and this amounted to Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-Seven Ghana Cedis and  Eighty-Seven Pesewas. 

This denied existing members and also retirees of interest on funds if it had been invested for the period stated,” an internal audit report revealed.

“Additionally, those on retirement received their benefit excluding the interest on the un-invested funds and this left gaps in the computation of individual staff member’s contribution,” according to the report.

The report said that the audit team noted that monthly cheques issued to the Fund were released very late and in some cases, were never released at all. 

“For example, a cheque of GH¢47,754.54  with cheques no. 922744 meant for payment into the fund for the month of Nov 2012 was issued on 31/12/2012, being one month after its due date.  Such late submission of cheques denied contributors to the fund the opportunity to earn any interest income had the monies been received and invested earlier,” it indicated.

EOCO CHASES AWUAH DARKO - OVER GH¢40M BOST CASH

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, July 06, 2017

The Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) is on the heels of Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, the immediate-past Managing Director (MD) of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited, over some alleged payments and withdrawals from the government’s account.

The account in question is the Chief of Staff’s ‘Sundry Account’ which the BOST boss regularly lodged money into and reportedly cashed by the Office of the Chief of Staff under President John Mahama.

Even though the amount involved has not yet been disclosed by EOCO, DAILY GUIDE learnt that it runs into several millions of Ghana cedis.

The ‘invitation’ extended to Mr Awuah Darko, who is current cooling off in the United States - where he has been for some months following the National Democratic Congress (NDC) humiliating defeat in last December’s general election - was issued on Tuesday when his name reportedly popped up concerning the withdrawals.

Contaminated Fuel Sale

The BOST has been in the news lately following the release of large quantities of contaminated fuel (dirty oil) to private companies for distribution by the current Managing Director, Alfred Obeng Boateng.

The BOST action sparked heated political debate when the minority NDC called for Mr. Obeng Boateng’s suspension, but the majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) hit back, exposing the BOST under Mahama’s NDC of being behind the contamination of fuel in the country when it was in power.

The majority revealed that there was evidence to show that about 12 million litres of the same contaminated fuel were sold to about 36 unlicensed entities and individuals in 2016 during the tenure of Mr. Awuah-Darko under the Mahama administration.

Huge Transfers

According to the majority, there is evidence to show how the Awuah-Darko-led management transferred over GH¢40 million to the presidency under John Mahama in a very bizarre manner.

It is unclear into which accounts the huge payments were made, but DAILY GUIDE understands about GH¢40,500,000 was allegedly transferred secretly from BOST account between August 2015 and early January this year.

The NPP claimed the Awuah-Darko administration led a corrupt administration, siphoning money to the Flagstaff House - the seat of government - for unexplained purposes.

Flagstaff House

The NPP said at a press conference that there were massive rotten deals under the former BOST MP, with the Office of then President John Mahama and his Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, allegedly siphoning huge amounts of money between GH¢2.5 million and GH¢3.5 million at the end of every two weeks from 2015 under the guise of security transfers, amounting to about GH¢40.5 million.

According to documents from the majority, the particulars for the transactions indicated “transfer of funds accrued from security fees.”

Dubious Transfers

Starting from August 28, 2015, BOST transferred GH¢3.5 million; released GH¢3 million on October 2, the same year and another GH¢3 million on November 12, 2015 while on December 23 the same year, GH¢20 million was transferred.

On February 05, March 15, April 15 and May 13 - all in 2016 -  GH¢2.5 million on each occasion was transferred by BOST while on June 09, July 15 and August 24 in the same year, GH¢3 million each was transferred from BOST.

Later in September 29 and November 17, in 2016, GH¢3.5 million each was transferred by BOST while on January 03, 2017 - when it was left with just three days for the Mahama-led government to leave office - BOST transferred GH¢3 million.

Unlicensed Entities

BOST, during the tenure of Mr. Awuah-Darko, sold contaminated fuel to about 36 unlicensed entities and individuals and records showed that between March 05, 2015 and August 04, 2015, the previous BOST management sold 8,190,000 litres of contaminated fuel to 24 companies that were all unlicensed, as well as another 12,400.000 litres sold to other 25 unlicensed companies between January 16, 2016 and November 30, 2016.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the price per litre sold by BOST under the then NDC government was lower than what was sold to the private entities under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

BNI Action

The Minister for Energy, Boakye Agyarko, has already cleared Alfred Obeng Boateng, BOST Managing Director, of any wrongdoing in the recent sale of some 5 million litres of contaminated fuel.

The minister said BOST never erred in transacting that business with energy firm, Movenpiina.

According to Mr Agyarko, investigations so far conducted by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), the National Security and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) on the contaminated products had established that the fuel had not spilled onto the retail market for sale to vehicle owners.

Mr Agyarko told the media on Tuesday that “on the basis of previous practice, there was no wrongdoing at BOST on the sale of the 5 million liters of contaminated products.” 

WORKERS DEMAND GOV’T ACTION - ON TIER II PENSION

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By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, July 05, 2017

The Forum for Public Sector Registered Pension Schemes has given the government up to the end of July to resolve all outstanding issues regarding the Tier Two Pension Scheme or face their wrath.

According to the forum, since 2010 when the scheme commenced, government has about 80 months’ arrears of their five percent monthly deductions to be paid into their respective custodian fund managers.

The forum said the government should transfer all contributions deducted from January 2010 to 31^st August 2016, including penalties as required by law, and also asked the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA) to ensure that the terms of settlement filed by the government and the forum at the High Court in February 2016 are complied with by all the parties.

The Forum is made up of Unions and Associations including the Health Service Workers’ Union, Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association, Ghana Medical Association, Ghana Physicians Assistants Association, Ghana Hospital Pharmacists Association and the Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anesthetists.

The rest include the Ghana National Association of Teachers, Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Ghana Trades Union Congress, the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana and the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana and the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana.

At a news conference in Accra yesterday, Isaac Bampoe-Addo, who is the Chairman of the forum, bemoaned the attitude of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) in addressing their concerns.

“As indicated, the 2nd Tier Scheme is a defined contributions Scheme and in order to increase the retirement income for workers, the funds deducted would have to be invested prudently and timeously.  NPRA by its conduct has held up funds in the TPFA which is yielding no returns.”

They claimed the NPRA had “refused to forward to government a second option of indebtedness to enable government take a decision as to the way forward in spite of clear directives from the minister in-charge of pensions.”

According to the forum, in 2014, the National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766) was amended by National Pensions Act, 2014 (Act 883) and the amendment reverted some workers back to the social security law, 1991 – PNDCL 247 and also changed the formula that had been established by SSNIT scheme.

“The effect of this change has resulted into the payment of reduced benefits to the contributors,” adding “again it has generated a problem as to how to handle the extra 1% deductions made on behalf of those workers, who have been reverted to the social security law 1991 (PNDCL 247) by the National Pensions Amendment Act, 2014 (Act 883).”

The forum also said that it “has an axe to grind with the managers of the SSNIT Scheme because they are using an early retirement reduction factor of up to 40% lump sum and an annuity factor of 41.9% without any legal basis to compute benefits to the detriment of members of the scheme.”

They said further that instead of going by the law and computing the minimum pension using 50 percent of the average annual salary for the three best years of a member during their working life, SSNIT is using monthly salaries as the basis of calculation.”

The forum insisted that NPRA, as a regulator “has the onerous responsibility to ensure that the Temporary Pensions Fund Account (TPFA) at the Bank of Ghana into which deductions of workers in the public sector were deposited has been audited.”

“The audit of the TPFA accounts has not been done to pave the way for the disbursement of funds accrued since 1st January, 2010 to 31st August 2016 to be paid to the custodians of the four public sector schemes.”

They said “the government is sitting aloof, and seems unconcerned about the delay of the transfer of monthly deductions to the custodians of our occupational pension schemes.”

The forum accused NPRA of allegedly “not ensuring the determination of an appropriate and acceptable past credit in respect of contributors who by the new Act are to claim their lump sums from the occupational pension schemes after they have made contributions for several years to the SSNIT Scheme.”

They also said that the Ministry of Finance was trying to assume oversight responsibility over pensions when it was supposed to be managed by the Ministry of Employment, adding that “the Minister of Finance cannot amend an Act of Parliament with a budget statement as he did.”

DISABLED PERSONS TAKE OVER TOLL BOOTHS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, July 05, 2017

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has commenced an initiative to hand over the management of some toll booths in the country to people with disabilities (PWDs) as part of efforts to create more jobs for the people.

The programme, dubbed ‘Physically Challenged Road Toll Booth,’ was officially launched at the Pobiman Toll Booth Plaza on the Accra-Nsawam-Kumasi Highway by the Ministry of Roads and Highways in collaboration with the Ministry of Information.

Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, said at the launch that the programme had been designed to empower persons living with disabilities as well as harness their skills.

He said he was personally fulfilling the promise he made before the Appointments Committee of Parliament, that if he was given the nod, he was going to ensure that at least 50% quota of employment in the roads sector would be reserved for PWDs.

“Some people might see PWDs as a nuisance but this government, under President Akufo-Addo, sees them as people with full potentials who need to be given the opportunity to contribute to GDP of the nation,” he said.

He recalled that during his time as DCE, 2% of the District Assembly Common Fund was utilized to the benefit of PWDs and said they are now benefiting from the projects being undertaken.

Mr Amoako-Atta gave the assurance that by the end of this year about 200 PWDs would have been recruited and trained for the toll booth jobs, adding that about 80 had already been trained to take over the booths.

The minister revealed that the government was in the process of automating the toll booths to prevent managers from diverting cash into private pockets and warned that anyone found culpable of cheating the system would not be spared by the law.

He added that the construction works on major roads and other projects under the ministry would resume immediately in order to ensure accessible transportation in the country.

Ofori Debrah, Chairman of the Ghana Federation of the Disabled (GFD), expressed appreciation to President Akufo-Addo and the NPP government for creating opportunities for persons with disabilities to be absorbed into the job market.

He said the toll booth management initiative for PWDs is a step in the right direction since it opens job opportunities for them, will help to raise their economic status and enhance their social image.

Mr Ofori Debrah said that the federation facilitated the recruitment, ensuring that everyone had the information and those who expressed interest and applied were 250.

Mr. Debrah however, appealed to the government not to make the toll booth management initiative the only opportunity for PWDs but open more avenues for them to be employed.

NDC SIPHONS GH¢40M FROM BOST

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, July 04, 2017

Details are emerging about how Kingsley Awuah-Darko, former Managing Director (MD) of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited and his management team transferred over GH¢40 million to the presidency under the previous Mahama administration in a very bizarre manner.

It is unclear into which accounts the huge payments were made, but DAILY GUIDE understands that about GH¢40,500,000 was transferred secretly from BOST between August 2015 and early January, this year.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Majority in Parliament had dropped the hint that Awuah-Darko led a corrupt administration that allegedly siphoned money to the Flagstaff House.

The NPP said at a press conference that there were massive rotten deals under Mr Kwame Awuah Darko, with the office of the then President, John Mahama and his Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, purportedly siphoning huge amounts of money - between GH¢2.5 million and GH¢3.5 million at the end of every two weeks from 2015 under the guise of security transfers, amounting to about GH¢40.5 million.

The particulars for the transactions indicated “transfer of funds accrued from security fees.”

Heated Debate

The revelation is coming at a time when there is heated debate over the release of large quantities of contaminated fuel (dirty oil) to private companies by BOST’s current management, headed by Alfred Obeng Boateng.

Strangely, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), which is pushing for the suspension of Mr Obeng Boateng, supervised the distribution of about 12 million litres of the same contaminated fuel when it was in office   last year, excluding several others.

The NDC held a news conference last week to claim that the BOST boss had sold the contaminated fuel to an unlicensed company; but it has emerged that the contaminated products were regular phenomena at BOST under the leadership of then MD Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, who is said to be currently cooling off in the United States.

Shady Transfers

On August 28, 2015, BOST transferred GH¢3.5 million; released GH¢3 million on October 2, the same year and another GH¢3 million on November 12, 2015 while on December 23 same year, GH¢20 million was transferred.

On February 05, March 15, April 15, and May 13 - all in 2016 - GH¢2.5 million on each occasion was transferred by BOST while on June 09, July 15 and August 24, in the same year, GH¢3 million each was transferred from BOST.

Later on September 29 and November 17, 2016, GH¢3.5 million each was transferred by BOST while on January 03, 2017 - when it was left with just three days for the Mahama-led government to leave office - BOST transferred GH¢3 million.

Unlicensed Entities

During the tenure of Mr. Awuah-Darko, BOST sold contaminated fuel to about 36 unlicensed entities and individuals and records showed that between March 05, 2015 and August 04, 2015, the previous BOST management sold 8,190,000 litres of contaminated fuel to 24 companies that were all unlicensed, as well as another 12,400.000 litres sold to another 25 unlicensed companies between January 16, 2016 and November 30, 2016.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the price per litre sold by BOST under the then NDC government was lower than what was sold to the private entities under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

The issue took a political dimension when the minority NDC in Parliament held a news conference asking that Mr Obeng Boateng be sacked by the government.

But the NPP majority has hit back, calling for a ‘high-profile’ forensic investigation into the operations of BOST, saying that that should go beyond the short tenure of Mr. Obeng Boateng.

The majority accused the NDC of coming out with ‘cooked’ information on the BOST contaminated fuel saga.

The NPP had insisted that the motive of the NDC was principally to cover up its massive corruption at BOST under the stewardship of Mr. Awuah-Darko.

Mr Alfred Obeng Boateng has been accused of selling about 5 million litres of the contaminated fuel to companies, some of which are said to be unlicensed for the business; but he has continuously denied any wrongdoing.

Workers of BOST have backed the MD to call the bluff of all those who are asking him to vacate his post.

The MP for Odotobri, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi, who addressed the majority’s press conference on Friday, said the recent contamination of five million litres of fuel was detected on January 18, 2017 when the former MD, Kwame Awuah Darko, was still at post; but it was attributed to ‘human error,’ resulting in the interdiction of four members of staff who were in-charge of operations at the time.

Mr. Gyamfi explained that apart from the current contamination by four workers at the time, several other fuel contaminations happened under the NDC government since 2014, which ought to be fully investigated because of the manner in which they occurred.

“The truth of the matter is that under the NDC, similar contaminations occurred. In 2014 another contamination occurred and the quantity involved was 4.6 million litres; in 2015 there was another contamination and the quantity involved was 9.9 million litres and in 2016, the mother of all contaminations occurred and the quantity involved was 12 million litres,” Mr Gyamfi revealed.

The Ministry of Energy has already set up an 8-member ministerial committee to investigate the circumstances under which large quantities of contaminated oil were released by BOST to private companies for distribution.

According to the release signed by the sector minister, Boakye Agyarko, the committee, whose timeframe for the investigation was not given, is expected to determine the circumstances that created the ‘off-spec’ product, review the procedures undertaken by BOST to evacuate the product, as well as ascertain the quality and remaining quantity of the product.

The committee has also been tasked to determine if the product can be corrected; if not, determine the alternative use for the product and review the transaction after which it is expected to advise the ministry on the necessary technical, administrative and legal actions to be taken.

BOST has always insisted that not a single drop of the alleged dirty oil has found its way onto the market, although Senyo Hosi, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, claimed it had been distributed and even warned the public on social media platform - Facebook - against the contaminated fuel, which he said was being sold around Kpone in the Tema enclave of the Greater Accra Region.

MAFIA IN DIRTY OIL DEALS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, July 03, 2017

The scandal that has rocked the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Limited in the release of large quantities of contaminated fuel (dirty oil) to private companies for distribution is beginning to take a new twist.

This is because there appears to be emerging evidence that about 12 million litres of the same contaminated fuel was sold to about 36 unlicensed entities and individuals in 2016 during the tenure of the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, under the previous Mahama administration.

The contaminated products were regular phenomena at BOST under the leadership of Awuah Darko, who is said to be cooling off in the United States.

Between March 05, 2015 and August 04, 2015, BOST, under the previous Mahama administration, sold 8,190,000 litres of contaminated fuel to 24 companies that were all unlicensed.

Also between January 16, 2016 and November 30, 2016, BOST sold 12,400.000 litres to 25 unlicensed companies.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the price per litre sold by BOST under the then NDC government was lower than what was sold to the private entities under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

Currently, the CEO of BOST, Alfred Obeng Boateng, has been accused of selling about 5 million litres of the contaminated fuel to companies, some of which are said to be unlicensed for the business; but he has continuously denied any wrongdoing.

Workers of BOST have backed the CEO to call the bluff of all those who are asking him to vacate his post.

The issue took a political dimension when the Minority NDC in parliament held a news conference asking that the BOST CEO be sacked by the government.

But the NPP Majority has hit back calling for a ‘high-profile’ forensic investigation into the operations of BOST, saying that should go beyond the short tenure of Mr. Obeng Boateng.

The Ministry of Energy has already set up an 8-member ministerial committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the release of large quantities of contaminated oil by BOST to private companies for distribution.

A news release issued in Accra and signed by the sector minister, Boakye Agyarko, said the committee would be made of representatives from the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Chamber of Bulk Distributors (CBDs), Association of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), Energy Commission, as well as a representative from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

According to the release, the committee, whose timeframe for the investigation was not given, is expected to determine the circumstances that created the ‘off-spec’ product, review the procedures undertaken by BOST to evacuate the product, as well as ascertain the quality and remaining quantity of the product.

The committee has also been tasked to determine if the product can be corrected; if not, determine the alternative use for the product and review the transaction after which it is expected to advise the ministry on the necessary technical, administrative and legal actions to be taken.

BOST has always insisted that not a single drop of the alleged dirty oil has found its way onto the market, although Senyo Hosi, CEO of Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, claimed it had been distributed and even warned the public on social media platform - Facebook - against the contaminated fuel, which he said was being sold around Kpone in the Tema enclave of the Greater Accra Region.

The NPA sealed the tanks at its Zupoil depot, Golf City, near Tema, where the supposed contaminated fuel products had been stored to allow for investigations into the whole saga.

BOST allayed the fears when it issued a statement saying it was collaborating with its partner agencies and the NPA to closely monitor and forestall the leakage of any contaminated product onto the market.

“BOST’s responsibility is to sell off-spec products to a qualified company and it is important to note that off-spec products are used by the steel, garment, petro-chemical companies to run their machinery and certainly not for the running of vehicle engines. It can also be used as mixture for asphalt and turpentine to prevent decay of wood, etc. and therefore cannot fathom how possible off-spec products could be sold to unsuspecting consumers for whatever reason. That notwithstanding, it is a fact that NPA is fully in control as usual and will not allow this to happen,” BOST said in the statement.