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11.05.2012 Sports News

Agra Fingered… In Maputo Report

By Daily Guide
Wolanyo AgraWolanyo Agra
11.05.2012 LISTEN

The Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Wolanyo Agra, has been implicated by the five-member committee tasked to probe Ghana's participation in the 10 th All African Games in Maputo for financial malpractices.

The report of the committee, chaired by Nii Adote Din Barima I, revealed Agra singlehandedly awarded contracts without doing due diligence.

A copy of the seven-page report stated that the burly NSA chief contracted Royal Derby Tours to lift 200 athletes and officials at the cost of $620,000 for the Games hosted by Mozambique in 2011.

The report added, “Furthermore, he awarded Trafix Catering Service a contract to feed an undisclosed number of athletes and officials for an undisclosed number of days at an undisclosed unit price.”

'In the end, the contractor presented an invoice for GH¢92,265.88 which was paid instantly without anybody in authority asking any questions,' it added.

According to the report, 'Again, Romku Ventures was contracted to provide hostel accommodation for camping at the cost of GH¢62,850.00, which exceeded the number of athletes and officials specified in the contract letter.'

Nii Adote Din Barima I, who is the vice president of Ghana Olympic Committee (GOC) stated in the report, 'There was no contract specification, as well as contract documents for any of the contracts awarded by the National Sports Council.”

“Some of the documents presented to the committee were either after-thoughts or outright fabrications. This means that there was no standard or quality of service, not even minimum requirements like unit price, etc.'

'The committee believes the absence of any contract specification only partly explains the sub-standard nature and poor quality service delivered by almost all the contractors,' the report added.

Mr Agra was also fingered for handling all financial and contractual transactions and ordering his subordinates to carry out his instructions without putting them in black and white, as is the practice of the public service.

The report pointed out, “The committee finds that the entire organizational structure of the National Sports Council was undermined in the way its administrative processes were executed and its administrative rules flouted.'

But in a sharp response to the committee's report, Agra issued a 12-page document in defense of the Maputo allegations.

A copy of the response stated that the committee was wrong in stating that Agra singlehandedly awarded Royal Derby Tours a contract worth US$ 620,000.00 to lift over 200 athletes and officials to Maputo for the All Africa Games.

According to a GNA report, Mr Agra said, Royal Derby Tours had been one of three service providers to the NSA for the past three years, adding that the decision to engage them was based on capacity of delivery on credit terms, noting that the Entity Tender Committee (ETC) of the NSA played a role in the award of the contract which was in line with existing standard practice.

The former General Secretary of the GFA denied findings of the committee which stated that the NSA Board was sidelined, saying, 'A Board Meeting was held on the 25th of August, 2011 and all issues relating to the All Africa Games were discussed including the budget.'

Defending the contract  for the catering services, he  said, the company provided services for the Unity Games, fed athletes preparing for the All Africa Games and provided an invoice of GH¢92,265.88 as cost of feeding 200 athletes; and explained that the whole transaction was handled by the Technical Head of the NSA.

He added that after a post-auditing review, it was suggested that the number of athletes taken care of, were less than 200; hence the need for Trafix Catering to refund the difference.

Meanwhile, Agra said the conduct of the committee's chairman was questionable, stating, 'He made a prejudice statement by condemning the outcome of the Maputo Games when he was given the opportunity to deliver a keynote address on behalf of the President of the Athletics Association, and the GOC at the Castle when the Vice President of Ghana granted audience to team Ghana upon arrival from the All African Games.'

'He failed to account for public funds he used whilst leading a delegation as president of a sports association to participate in an international competition,' alleged Agra.

 From The Sports Desk
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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