Gov`t uncovers $500m rot at Energy Ministry

A forensic audit conducted by the Ministry of Energy has led to the discovery of $500m debt at the Electricity sub sector of the Ministry. Chronicle gathered from sources close to the Ministry that similar exercises conducted at other sectors under the Ministry has uncovered $86m debt at Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) and $8 million at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

A credible source at the Ministry told this reporter that the huge debt is minus the $920m uncovered at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) by accounting giants - KPMG. The Chronicle gathered that the Ministry would soon be holding a press conference to make the findings public.

The Ministry is reportedly fuming over the issue, since it would stifle it of funds to initiate new projects. “It will hinder the ability of the Ministry to carry out new power projects,” a source hinted.

The Chronicle gathered that the debt arose from a number of contracts that were awarded by the previous administration to carry out electrification projects across the country, but which no payments were effected.

In another development, David Allan Paintsil reports from Cape Coast that the Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Ama Benyiwa Doe on Tuesday inaugurated two European Union (EU) projects in the Gomoa East and West Districts respectively.

She first inaugurated a Community Health and Planning Services Centre (CHPS) at Gomoa Fomena, where the people showed great communal spirit towards the completion of the health centre. It came up at the Fomena ceremony that the town was motivated to vie for a clinic, following an incident in the town, where a person bitten by a snake died on the way to hospital at Abodom, a nearby town.

The Mankrado of Fomena, Nana Botwe II, made this known and thanked the EU for responding to the plight of the town, and presented a stool to the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Willem Roodhart, as a sign of appreciation.

The Gomoa West District Chief Executive, Theophilus Aidoo Mensah impressed upon the people to take active interest in their children's' education.

He bemoaned a situation in the town where day-care pupils studied under trees, and thanked the chief of the town for providing land and communal labour to help put up a new structure for them, within two months.

Mrs. Benyiwa Doe later inaugurated a six-bedroom teachers' quarters for Gomoa Manso, in the Gomoa East District, where she advised teachers not to use the facility to defile school pupils.

She said the provision of accommodation was to enhance the learning and teaching process, but not to provide a platform for teachers to take undue advantage of their pupils.

She had earlier on in the day directed all the 17 district assemblies in the Central Region to ensure that the completed EU projects were put to proper use, indicating that reports reaching her, pointed to the fact that most of the completed EU projects were not being utilised.