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Ejura Sekyedumase Municipal Assembly Rejoinder On Alleged 61,000 Funeral Donation As Published By The Daily Guide On November 7, 2014

By Amenayere Mustapha
Press Release Ejura Sekyedumase Municipal Assembly Rejoinder On Alleged 61,000 Funeral Donation As Published By The Daily Guide On November 7, 2014
NOV 20, 2014 LISTEN

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

Following the publication by the Daily Guide on 7th November, 2014 about the allege GHC 61,000.00 spent on funeral donation by the Hon. MCE of the Ejura Sekyedumase Municipal Assembly, Alhaji Muhammad Bawa Braimah, we the Assembly members of the Municipality wish to categorically state that the said publication is false and only meant to defame the MCE and the entire Assembly at large.

We wish to highlight that the budget line for donation as stated in the Chart of Account produced by the Controller and Accountant Generals' Department and used for the Assembly's trial balance does not relate only to funeral donation and social event, but also broadly relates to all expenditure items relating to the Assembly's contribution to support
individuals on apprentice programmes who call on the Assembly for assistance, all institutions (schools and colleges) who apply to the Assembly for financial assistant to pursue productive programmes and activities, request on the Assembly to support organised groups and associations' activities (eg. religious events, traditional festivals and clubs) etc.

Indeed section 10, sub section 3 of the Local Government Act 1993 (Act 462) entreats all MMDAs to promote and support productive activities and social development. So the expenditure relating to donation under Internally Generated Funds is therefore meant to pursue these worthy course, especially considering the inadequacy of the sources of funding, such as DACF.

It is therefore mischievous for anyone to publish that expenditure on donation as stated in the chart of account for the Assembly's trial balance by the Controller and Accountants' General Department applies to only funeral donations. We also want to state as a matter of fact that, the trial balance of the Assembly as at June, 2014 indicated that the Assembly's expenditure on support to individuals, groups, association, clubs, institution etc. (donations) stood at GHC 33,509.00.

This implies that the said publication by the Daily Guide pegging the expenditure on such a support at GHC 60,998.46 (approximately GHC 61,000.00) is blatantly false and an attempt to defame the Hon. MEC's personality entire Ejura
Sekyedumase Municipal Assembly.

In fact, the document from which the publication was made was a virement document that sought to adjust estimates of some expenditure items for the year ending December, 2014. The Executive Committee Meeting at its meeting thoroughly discussed these proposals. This was subsequently approved by the General Assembly on the 30th of October, 2014.

This document sought to adjust expenditure estimates not only for donations but also for other expenditure items which include commissions, transfer grant, running cost etc. as required by Section 171 of the Financial Administration Act, 2003, Act 654. Indeed the amount GHC 60,998.46 approximately GHC 61,000.00 stated in the
said publications as expenditure on donation for the half year was as a matter of fact the re-estimated figure for 2014 financial year to accommodate more expenditure to support groups, associations, clubs, individuals and institutions who may call on the Assembly for financial assistance to promote productive activities and social development as required by Section 10, Sub Section 3 of the Local Government Act 1993 (Act 462).

1. We also want to state that it is on record that at the end of discussions on this document at the General Assembly, a motion was moved by Hon. Suuk Kombat Paul for the document to be adopted by the house and seconded by Hon. Nana Adu Pako without any counter motion. In other words the General Assembly unanimously agreed to adopt this document. Therefore the allegation that Honourable Assembly Member of the Ejura Sekyedumase Municipal Assembly called for immediate audit cannot also be true. Indeed it would be an apology on any Assembly member who could not either contribute on the flow of the General Assembly or did not understand the issues discussed to subsequently report the issues as falsely and blatantly published by the Daily Guide.

Finally, the report made by the publication on the alleged 'ghost project' is not true. Indeed the reporter could not pinpoint or name even a single project he described as 'ghost'. This shows the shallow minded level of the reporter and also how he intended to mislead the general public. But I must state that all projects embarked on before and during the tenure of Hon. Alhaji Muhammad Bawa Braimah was awarded to contractors and works have either been completed or at the various stages of completion. I must also state that the Assembly has documented evidence
relating to all contracts and work done.

Therefore the allegation on the said ghost project is also false. I would therefore like to state that the Assembly is media friendly and would urge all media station to call on the Assembly for accurate information before publishing any information related to this August Assembly.

In conclusion I wish to state that all the information in the said publication is maliciously false and conscious attempt to mislead the public and defame the character of the Hon. Alhaji Muhammed Bawa Braimah and bring the hard earned reputation of the Ejura Municipal Assembly into disrepute. So I urge the general public to treat such information with the contempt that it deserves and to be circumspect with any further publication relating to this Assembly.

The Assembly under the leadership of the MCE will continue to pursue programs and projects to empower citizens and promote development as envisage by the Assembly.

Thank you

Hon. Rafui Adam Seidu

Presiding Member Ejura Sekyedumase Municipal

During the conference,the Municipal Chief Executive Alhaji Muhammad Braimah Bawa, also took the opportunity to highlight on the numerous projects undertaken within the municipality under his care. Notable among them are:

i. The Introduction of the cocoa sucks and size 4 fertilizer bags as standard bags in measuring maize replacing the old size 5 fertilizer bags which has now brought smiles to the face of the constituents since majority of them are farmers, farmers now harvest about 10 bags of maize per acre instead of the earlier 6/7,

The construction of speed rumps on the principal street of Ejura, the municipal capital to save the lives of people from the hands of careless drivers, Extension of electricity to 51 communities under the rural electrification project,

Extension of potable water to the some areas of the municipal capital, Construction of 8km urban roads from the Ejura District Hospital to Sabonline, Sabonline to T. I Ahmadiya school, Around the new market and from the old market to Brigade/Asaaseboano, Provision of about 720 double desk furniture to some basic schools, Provision of bicycle to deserving teachers and students from remote and distance places,

Construction of three unit class room blocks for some five selected needy schools in the Municipality which are all at stage of completion, Emptying all chocked gutters within the Municipal capital.

Alhaji Muhammad Braimah Bawa also indicated that projects such as the Construction of storm drains for Ejura and Sekyedumase which was awarded on contract in 2012 but works couldn't start due to luck of funds, the revamp of EJURA FARMS to be carried out by the Municipal Assembly and the Ejura traditional council to create employment for the teeming youth will and many more will soon kick start.

In conclusion the, MCE said some people have just made their mind to spoil the hard won reputation and good work he has begun barley eleven months in office. He added that he wonder how a chronic and known thief like Elliasu Tanko, the said journalist who first wrote the publication on modernghana.com will be walking around writing false
stories about him.

According to the MCE the gentleman never graduated from any school of journalism, he walks with a fake ID card of a female journalist and therefore is an impostor and a fraudster and shouldn't be entertain by any media house since he depend on writing false stories to earn a living. He added that even before assumption of office this gentleman was used by his (the MCE) opponents to write negative stories about him. He further indicated that such image destruction tendencies and strategies will not prevent him from contributing his quota in carving good image for Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality.

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