TEN MUNICIPAL and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the Eastern Region, together with senior officials of their assemblies, appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament at its sitting, which ended in Koforidua on Wednesday, to answer questions on financial malpractices within their outfits.
The malpractices included award of contracts without following the laid-down procedures, payments not backed by receipts, non-recovery of loans granted to assembly staff and non-recovery of poverty alleviation loans.
The MDCEs were Messrs Johnson Ehiakpor, Asuogyaman; George Agyeman Dua, Kwaebibirem; Seth Otchere of West Akyem; Andrews Tetteh Soda, Yilo Krobo; Isaac Tetteh Agbo, Lower Manya Krobo; Joseph Omari, Kwahu South; Alex Asamoah, New Juaben; Napoleon Asiamah, Birim North; Evans Apraku, Kwahu North; Alex Somuah Obeng, Kwahu West; and Miss Ophelia Koomson, Birim Central.
Although the political heads admitted most of such financial malpractices, they explained they occurred between 2001 and 2008, a time when they had not assumed office and blamed their predecessors for the problem.
Mr Ehiakpor, who was the first to appear, told the committee chaired by Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah that unauthorised variations of GH¢53,000 of contracts, which were more than 25 per cent permitted, as well as double payments of GH¢14,500 and approximately GH¢96,000 given out by the assembly to a number of organisations, occurred when he was not in office.
He, however, indicated that he took steps to recover some of the monies and also plugged the loopholes to make it impossible for such malpractices to recur.
In answer to a question why the assembly had not collected the expected internally generated fund, Mr Ehiakpor explained that Akosombo, where most of the funds were to come from, was currently under the management of the Volta River Authority and appealed to the PAC to see how best to resolve the issue.
Mr Kan-Dapaah gave an assurance that the issue would be referred to Parliament.
When it came to the turn of Mr Omari, Kwahu South DCE, he told the committee that GH¢44,000 went down the drain in the construction of a craft village in the forest reserve near the paragliding site at Atibie and blamed the former DCE, Mr Osafo Djan.
The former DCE, who, Mr Omari also said, could not refund GH¢1,000 loaned him by the assembly, responded that the project was necessary since it would promote paragliding in the area except that it was abandoned when he left office.
According to Mr Omari, his outfit has taken the necessary steps to streamline financial administration in the assembly and that such financial mishaps will be no more.
With regard to Kwahu North, it was detected that GH¢5,900 was overpaid to a contractor, GH¢3,000 misappropriated, GH¢7,100 paid to a contractor but not covered by receipt, GH¢3,300 worth of fuel given out to someone but not accounted for and GH¢209,000 contract awarded outside the tender system but the district finance officer explained that most of the anomalies were corrected.
When it came to the turn of Kwahu West, the committee did not find any lapses in the assembly’s financial administration and congratulated the DCE, Mr Alex Somuah Obeng, on keeping an eagle eye on the finances to make it impossible for anybody to drain the assembly and urged other DCEs to do same.
With the Manya Krobo District, GH¢2,300 out of GH¢10,500 said to have been misappropriated was yet to be recovered and another GH¢28,900 paid out without vouchers while GH¢23,500 imprest on various assignments could not be accounted for.
Mr Isaac Tetteh Agbo, the assembly’s finance officer, who explained the circumstances leading to the loss of the monies, told the committee that most of the monies had been retrieved.
Mr Alex Asamoah, MCE, New Juaben, who together with his senior officials was the last to appear before the committee, said most of the monies that went down the drain had been recovered.
They included GH¢9,210-revolving fund given out to cater for the housing needs of people in the rural area and GH¢2,000 given out as loans to 13 assembly members some of which had been retrieved, as well as GH¢67,000 worth of contract awarded to a contractor without going through the normal process.
Winding up the proceedings, the committee Chairman, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, said if there had been co-operation between the current MDCEs and their predecessors for the former political heads to properly hand over to them, most of the anomalies or lapses in the financial administration of the assemblies would have been dealt with.
Mr Kan-Dapaah, who advised political officers that they would be made to account for their stewardship at the end of their term, expressed his appreciation to the present and immediate past MDCEs for their co-operation.
He was also grateful to GTZ of Germany for funding the event and the public, especially traditional rulers, who took interest in the proceedings.
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