PPA Board Must Still Step Aside

Adjenim Boateng Adjei

The CSO Coalition working against corruption welcomes the swift response of the Governing Board of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to the documentary “Contracts for Sale” by Manasseh Azure Awuni uncovering potential extensive abuses of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (as amended), and corruption.

We have taken note of the assurance given by the Board to the people of Ghana to the effect that the role of the Board in approving Restrictive Tendering and Sole Sourcing methods for procurement would be made clear after the conclusion of the investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). Further, we note that in an interview granted Joseph Gakpo, and broadcast on Joy FM's Top Story program on 23rd August, 2019, the Chairman of the PPA Board, Professor Douglas Boateng indicated that the CEO did make full disclosure and recused himself at the beginning of the process, as such the Board acted accordingly. However, he could not confirm if this was done in all of the cases.

The responses of the Chairman and the actions of the Board affirm our earlier position that the Board must step aside. It reconfirms our observation that the Board's appreciation of the conflict of interest rule in Article 284 of the 1992 and expressed in the PPA Act 2003 is problematic. In addition, the issues raised by the Manasseh Documentary raises serious questions about the diligence with which the Board carries out its mandate to vet and approve methods for Restricted Tender and Sole Sourcing.

Given the sets of questions raised by the Manasseh Documentary and the role played by the Board, the Coalition reiterates its call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to suspend the Board with immediate effect. Further, the President should suspend the use of restricted tender and sole sourcing knowing that the Board is likely to apply the same standards it used in the TDLcase to new requests for approval before it.

The Coalition assures the public of its unalloyed commitment to ensuring this matter is properly investigated and where people are found to be culpable, that they face the full rigors of the law. Ultimately, it is important that we ensure that this abuse of the procurement process does not happen again.