Lamentations at Ghana@50 probe continue unabated

The Ghana@50 Commission of Inquiry panel was left further perplexed on Tuesday as four district assemblies claimed that they did not receive a number of Ghana@50 celebratory souvenirs until October 2008, nineteen months after the 50th anniversary celebrations.

Mr. Malamba Akrugu, District Co-Coordinator for the Kasena Nankana East District Assembly, was the first to claim that souvenirs, including commemorative anniversary cloths and T-shirts, were not delivered until 2008.

In a disjointed presentation before the commission, a clearly nervous Mr. Akrugu revealed that the assembly still had 219 T-shirts in stock, as well as a number of drinking cups and CD's received in 2007.

When questioned by Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong about what efforts had been made to distribute the late souvenirs, Mr. Akrugu admitted that despite specific instructions by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to distribute or sell the souvenirs, the Kasena Nankana East Assembly had not carried out these instructions, and that the souvenirs had been left in the assembly's storeroom for nearly a year.

However, Mr. Akrugu did assure the commission that these items would now be handed over to the Ghana Education Service for distribution among local schools.

Mr. Osei Tutu Prempeh was also unimpressed by the lack of evidence, as to where the souvenirs delivered in 2007 had been distributed.

He called on Mr. Akrugu to take the necessary steps to provide documentation outlining who received the distributed souvenirs, and receipts detailing the monies banked from souvenirs sold.

Mr. Akrugu said he believed that all money raised from the sale of souvenirs had already been used by the assembly, although he could not provide exact figures on how much had been raised from those sales.

Mr. Kingsley Kuupol, representing the Bolgatanga Municipal District Assembly, was the next civil servant to claim that souvenirs had been delivered late.

According to Mr. Kuupol, the assembly still had a number anniversary cloths, T-shirts, drinking cups, and CD's in stock, due in part to the late arrival of the goods.

Mr. Kuupol was also criticised by Mrs. Appiah-Opong for the lack of evidence provided to the commission regarding the distribution of the souvenirs.

Mrs. Appiah-Opong questioned the integrity of the assembly's figures that claimed a staggering ¢86 million (old Ghana Cedis) had been spent on food during one day of the celebrations in March 2007.

She also raised concerns that although Mr. Kuppol claimed all the assembly's drinking cups had been distributed to schools, there were no store receipts or signatures in the assembly's submission to prove the schools had received the cups.

Mr. Kuupol responded with some criticism of his own.

He highlighted that the assembly had been forced to sell the souvenirs at a vastly reduced prices instead of that recommended by the RCC, as the souvenirs were overpriced, and had been available in local markets long before they were sent to the assembly.

Mr. Kweku Awanga, Financial Officer for the assembly, also concluded that although the monies raised from the sale of souvenirs had not been left intact, the assembly was in a position to repay the money when instructed. The panel's strongest criticism, however, was reserved for the Garu Municipal District Assembly.

Mr. Adbula Abubakar, the current District Coordinator for the assembly, said that he could not tell the commission how many souvenirs they originally received from the RCC, although he confirmed there were still a number in stock.

Mr. Abubakar explained that the little information he had submitted before the commission, had come from a short consultation with the former District Co-Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Asigri.

Mr. Abubakar explained that he could find no documentation outlining what was received by the assembly, however, the former Deputy District Co-Coordinator had been able to provide him with receipts showing the expenditure of the assembly during that period.

A visibly angered Justice Isaac Duose described the situation as a disaster, and made clear his intention to call Mr. Asigri before the commission to explain his actions.

Justice Duose added that the former Finance Officer for the district, Mr. Joseph Kpemka, and the former Storekeeper would also be called to explain their roles in the mess.

The most competent presentation of the day came from Mr. Yakubu Alhassan, representing the Bawku Municipal District Assembly.

Mr. Alhassam explained that the assembly had used its budget in a number of ways that involved the community, including a number of sports events.

He highlighted that due to the late delivery of the souvenirs, the assembly only managed to sell some anniversary cloths. Sales of cloths amounted to some ¢9 million (old Ghana Cedis), and he was able to provide the commission with a receipt to prove this sum was still intact.

Mr. Prempeh raised some concerns that in common with many other assemblies the jubilee construction project in Bawku had stalled.

Mr. Alhassam said that a prolonged period of litigation involving the land, that was to be used to build a kindergarten as part of the jubilee construction project, had led the process to be abandoned.

However he also pointed out that a satellite market had been constructed from money originally set aside for the kindergarten project.