Another DCE In Hot Waters

Posted: Daily Guide |Tuesday, 20 April 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
ONE OF President John Atta Mills’ darling boys, who was voted the best District Chief Executive (DCE) in the Eastern Region for the year 2009, Charles Evans Apreku of the Kwahu North District Assembly, was yesterday summoned to the Castle, seat of government, to answer questions on the award of a contract which has sparked a raging controversy in the area.

Credible sources at the Castle hinted DAILY GUIDE that the DCE was summoned to the Castle on the instructions of the President, John Evans Atta Mills, since he could not fathom why and how a contract which was quoted by the contractor to cost the Assembly an amount of GH¢91,047.81, was suddenly inflated to the tune of GH¢101,337.81.

Upon hearing the news, President Mills, who rose to power on the campaign of a ‘Better Ghana’ and a promise to fight against what he described as ‘profligate expenditure’, was said to have been alarmed and therefore asked the DCE to immediately report at the Castle to answer questions.

The contract was awarded to Messrs. St. Wilson Company Limited for the supply of curtains, furniture, bedstead and bedspread to the Kwahu North District Assembly through a competitive tender and bidding process.

The company was tasked to complete supplies within 90 days as stipulated in the contract agreement.

Later, the DCE asked the Managing Director of the company, Wilson Atiemo, to change the quotation since he claimed he was not the only one who bid for the contract and that there was a problem with the calculation of price quotation.

Though he declined, Mr. Wilson indicated that Mr. Apreku followed up with a series of calls, pressing him to change the amount involved.

As a patriotic citizen, Mr. Wilson said, he turned down the offer since it would lead him to compromise his conscience and reputation as a businessman.

But halfway through the project, the contractor claimed that only GH¢12,000 of the contract sum has been advanced to him, stressing the belief that the DCE is deliberately frustrating him for not compromising.

He has since reported the issue to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Frantic efforts to reach the DCE for his side of the story proved futile since on all occasions, his cell phone was said to have been switched off.

Other officials, including the former District Coordinating Director (DCD), Francis Owusu Ansah, during whose term the contract was awarded and the District Engineer, Francis Onai, have both refused to comment on the issue.

Whilst Mr. Owusu Ansah claims he does not have the full details of the contract, Mr. Onai said he could also not comment on it without the consent of the DCE, considering the delicate nature of the issue.

Efforts to reach the incumbent DCD for his comments proved unsuccessful as his cell phone was also said to be switched off.

Nana Addo Courts Media

Posted: Daily Guide |Tuesday, 20 April 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
LEADING contender of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag-bearership race and 2008 Presidential Candidate of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is set to hold a meeting with selected journalists tomorrow.

The meeting, which is scheduled to take place at his Nima residence in Accra, is to enable him interact with the media.

A statement issued in Accra yesterday and signed by his Head of Communications, Mustapha Hamid said, “He will use this meeting with journalists to announce officially to the nation his decision to contest for the presidential nomination of the New Patriotic Party on August 7, 2010 and ultimately for the Presidency of the Republic in Election 2012” .

Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and leading member of the Victory-2012 campaign team, Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul, said during his interaction with the media this Wednesday, Nana will give a brief speech on his political future and the future direction of Ghana.

On that same day, the presidential hopeful will deliver a speech at the Mensah Sarbah Hall at the University of Ghana, Legon, at 6pm.

The speech is expected to focus on education, job creation and the future of the Ghanaian youth.

Nana Addo will then hit the road running with his national campaign tour on Thursday, with Kwanyako in the Central Region as his first stop.

Mr. Nitiwul explained that on Thursday, “Nana will officially kick-start his campaign tour to meet every single one of the about 115,000 delegates across the country in their various constituencies”.

He is thus scheduled to tour three constituencies the same day; Agona East, Agona West and Gomoa West.

On why Nana Addo is running again, the MP for Bimbilla said that “Nana Addo since January, 2009 has maintained an office where he interacts with an average of 300 Ghanaians a day and has taken notice of their sentiments”.

Aside that, he said, Nana Addo has also consulted widely with people within and outside the party, and it is the sentiments gathered from these interactions, coupled with the mismanagement of the country by the Mills-Mahama led administration that has influenced his decision to run again.

“It is clear that Ghanaians are looking for a man of vision, courage, wisdom, uprightness and integrity, and someone who can fix the economy with a sense of urgency as well as create jobs for the youth,” he stated.

The Bimbilla MP said that “Nana Addo will bring a message of hope and unity and would remind the delegates that NPP run an election and got 49.77% of the votes, but the party was seeking a third term mandate and we all know how difficult this is all over the world and so the change happened”.

“But today we have all realized that the change was a bad one, it has not brought hope to Ghanaians, it has not brought development to Ghanaians and the change has not changed anybody’s life for the better,” he stressed.

For this reason, he noted, Nana will be telling delegates of the party to respond to the cries of Ghanaians by making him the flag-bearer of the NPP, as he is sure to win the presidency in 2012 and will restore confidence in Ghanaians by expanding the economy, creating jobs, improving and expanding the NHIS and providing potable water and constant supply of electricity to their homes and factories.

“Nana Addo will be reminding the delegates that he personally fought for the expansion of the electoral college of the NPP with his resources and time and this has empowered them to be the people who would eventually elect the presidential candidate of the party.

He would therefore empower the grassroots when he eventually becomes president,” he concluded.

Don’t Pick Forms

Posted: Daily Guide |Monday, 19 April 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
ONE OF the outspoken women in the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Daavi Ama, has cautioned former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama against contesting in the party’s flag-bearership race.

She believes this is not an opportune time for the former Vice President to run for the position which is being keenly contested and has therefore made a passionate appeal to him not to either pick or file his nomination since it would not be in his own interest.

In an open letter to the former Vice President, Daavi Ama, who describes herself as the ‘self appointed spokesperson’ for the former Vice President and also happens to be the immediate past national treasurer of the NPP noted, “Sir, don’t send anyone to pick a nomination for you. It is not an order, but a humble plea”.

For this reason, she has asked him to turn down any proposals and suggestions from any individual or group of persons telling him to run for the position and allow the so-called big names in the party to contest.

She advised the former Vice President to take a closer look at those close to him and those who sing his praise, since some of them are nothing put pure opportunists and praise singers.

Madam Daavi also pointed out that some of these people are now campaigning for other flag-bearer aspirants.

In spite of that, she is optimistic that even if it will take years, Alhaji Mahama will one day become President of this nation.

She advised him to safeguard the reputation that he built for himself during his eight-year tenure as Vice President under the ‘gentle giant’, ex-President Kufuor, to enable him work his way up in the coming years.