Ghana@50 exposes MCEs, DCEs

…over poor record keeping, abuse of discretion
Posted: The Chronicle | Tue, 27 Oct 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu & George Frimpong

The Commission probing the country's 50th Anniversary celebration is getting increasing worried over the rate at which Municipal and District Chief Executives (M/DCEs) abuse their discretion in record-keeping.

This became evident at its sitting yesterday, when some of these former public servants who appeared before the Commission, virtually admitted using their discretion in taking decisions which affected the sale and distribution of Ghana @50 cloths, polo shirts and souvenirs before, during, and after the celebrations.

First to admit his guilt, was the former MCE for West Akim, Kwabena Sintim-Aboagye, when he openly told the Commission that he might have committed an error of judgment by using his discretion in taking certain decisions.

This was after he and others were subpoenaed to respond to allegations leveled against them by some people who had earlier appeared before the Commission.

Though he denied the allegation of pocketing any of the proceeds from the sale of the anniversary items, he admitted taking a few for onward distribution to some key and influential people in the Municipality, including traditional leaders and senior citizens for free.

He however did not have any documentary evidence to show the individuals and group of persons he gave the items to.

That, notwithstanding, Sintim-Aboagye said he was extremely surprised when the incumbent Director of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) came to make unfounded allegations against him, stressing that he was unhappy when he listened and watched him on television.

According to him, he realised a lot of factual inaccuracies and discrepancies in the Director's presentation.

Accounts
He gave a vivid account of how the Assembly expended the GH¢10,000 allocated to them by the Ghana@50 Secretariat for the organization of the celebration, an amount he said was nothing to write home about, emphasising that they received 50 pieces of the anniversary cloth, and sold them at GH ¢30 each, all amounting to GH¢1,500.

Considering the high demand for the cloth, he noted that the Assembly requested for more, leading to the supply of another 30 pieces, bringing the total proceeds of the sale to GH¢2,400.00, an amount Sintim-Aboagye said, he personally handed over to the then Eastern Regional Minister, Yaw Barima.

As the demand for the polo shirts also increased, he said, they managed to secure some 720 pieces from private sources, and paid for it.

He talked of how the Assembly used some of the already scanty resources to save the life of a 24 year old National Service person, who was injured by a stray bull on the day of the anniversary celebration, to the admiration of members of the Commission.

Though not part of the programme and activities for the celebration, he noted, the Assembly used part of the money to foot the medical bills of the lady with a yet-to-date outstanding debt of GH¢603.00.

Sintim-Aboagye said there were receipts at the RCC to support his claim, whilst the incident involving the National Service person was reported in the newspapers.

Mavis Allotey, who acted as the Store Keeper of the Assembly, and Alhaji Ibrahim Tijani, former Director of the RCC, also took their turns to clear allegations leveled against them.

On his part, the former District Chief Executive for the Kwahu West Municipal Assembly, Nana Kofi Kesse, had a tough time explaining the laxity with which the Assembly kept records.

Though, he admitted receiving and keeping the items in his office, he later invited the Store Keeper and the Director of the Regional Coordinating Council to take inventory of it.

He could however not give a proper account of the items received for the celebration, since, according to him, they arrived on March 4, 2007, when he was under pressure.

The Commissioners criticised him for his inability to exercise proper supervision over the items entrusted to the care of the Assembly.

Akuapem North
The then Principal Accountant of the Akuapem North Assembly, Mr. David Mensah, said about GH¢7,100 was accrued from the sales of the Ghana@50 souvenirs, but the money was handed over to the DCE.