General News of Thursday, 5 March 2015

Source: The Informer

Call for Minister’s ‘head’… An exercise in futility

Last week, The Informer once again became the toast of all radio talk shows, following some startling revelations put forward with regards to how some administrative instructions were flouted in payments to service providers under the Ghana Youth and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA)-now Youth Employment Agency (YEA).

In stating the other side of the story without passing judgment, this paper uncovered how directives, through the then Chief Director at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mr. Abdulai Yakubu, to institutions under GYEEDA were ignored.

Bruised badly by the findings of The Informer, detractors of Mr. Clement Humado, the then sector Minister of Youth and Sports, have decided to use the 2013 Auditor General’s report as fertile grounds to call for his “head” (prosecutions), without paying attention to details as captured by the said report.

Latest to join the crusade is the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South Constituency in the Eastern Region, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah, who is also a member of the Finance Committee of the nation’s legislature.

According to him, government should prosecute Mr. Humado for his involvement in the financial mismanagement of GYEEDA; citing the 2013 report by the Auditor General as the basis for his call.

Exposing his lack of understanding of the report under discussion, Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah was reported as saying the Minister (Humado), even against the advice of the regional Coordinators of the programme, went ahead to sign the contract which caused the country to lose millions of Ghana cedis, when he should have taken the pain to cross-check the facts as captured in the report.

Well, as it has always been the track record of The Informer, we have critically examined and analyzed the report and have the following observations to share with Dr. Mark Assibey-Yeboah, the media and all concerned, for proper debate of the report (2013 Auditor General’s report).

  1. The report is a consolidated audit report covering all key MDAs in the country. However, criticism of the report seems to be centered only on GYEEDA. It appears that some criticisms from some persons and the media cannot be found in the body of the report. The allegation by Dr. Assibey that the audit report indicated that the “Minister even against the advice of the regional coordinators of the programme went ahead and signed the contract thus causing the country to lose millions of cedis” cannot be found in the audit report; and one wonders whether Mark Assibey-Yeboah has his version of the report.


  2. Nowhere in the report was the name of Hon. Clement Kofi Humado mentioned, apart from references made to Minister or Ministers, as well as the National Programme Coordinator.


  3. Issues presented covered, among others, contracts of service providers contracted, manner of procurement, performance, and amounts owed as at the end of 2013.


  4. Other key areas of the report are lapses in the day to day management of GYEEDA at National, Regional and District levels The Informer has analyzed the service providers mentioned in the report and has attempted to present further information on them below and, if the blame game must continue.


With this little insight, one will say without prejudice that the call for the ‘head’ of Mr. Kofi Humado by persons like Mark Assibey-Yeboah, using the 2013 Auditor General’s report is an exercise in futility; when the basic details of the report have been ignored .

In fact, this Paper, well noted for its principled position, will be the last to shield any public official of corrupt doings, but what we detest are attempts by commentators to skew discussions as they pursue an agenda towards those leveled with allegations to have engaged in any form of corrupt practice.

We are for “nothing but the truth” and will reveal what the earth fails to throw out in our quest to help build a Better Ghana!
SERVICE PROVIDER DATE OF CONTRACT SIGNATURE SIGNED BY
CGHALLYWOOD ACADEMY OF FILM ACTING • Youth in Film Making 29th December 2009 Hon Rashid Pelpuo Minister
rLG COMMUNICATIONS • Training of youth in applied ICT 12th November 2010 Hon. Akua Sena Dansoa Minister
ASONGTABA COTTAGE INDUSTRY AND EXCHANGE PROGRAMME (ACI &EP) • Training of Youth in Dressmaking, Beads making, Carving and Drum making • Training of Youth in Hairdressing, Smock making, tie and dye, auto mechanics, Electrician, Guinea Fowl Rearing, Soap Making and Carpentry • Training of Youth in Dressmaking: Additional List of 23,000 • Youth in Transport Service Provision: Community Motorcycle Project 12th October 2009

2nd December 2009

16th October 2010

15th August 2011
Hon. Rashid Pelpuo Minister

Hon. Rashid Pelpuo Minister

Hon. AkuaSenaDansoa Minister
ROGAMS LINKS LTD. • Training youth in mobile phone repairs and assembly

• Communications: Allowance 6,000 trainees

• RLG Communications: Supplementary request for additional 1,000 beneficiaries

• RLG Communications: Additional 24,000 to applied ICT
3rd August 2009

14th December 2009

14th December 2009

10th November 2010
Hon. Rashid Pelpuo Minister

Hon. Rashid Pelpuo Minister

Hon. Rashid Pelpuo Minister

Hon. Akua Sena Dansoa Minister
CRAFTPRO LIMITED • Training of Youth in Basket

• Weaving in Upper East Region of Ghana

• Extension of program in Upper East
12th October 2009

19th July 2010

02/09/2011
Hon. Rashid Pelpuo Minister

Hon. AkuaSenaDansoa Minister

Hon. Clement Kofi Humado Minister
ZEERA • Youth in road maintenance 1st phase 14th September 2010 Hon Abuga Pele Coordinator NYEP
ZEERA • Youth in road maintenance 2nd phase 14th September 2010 Hon Kofi Humado Minister
GHANA YOUNG ARTISANS MOVEMENT • Dressmaking • Carpentry • Hairdressing • Soap Making • Block Laying 29th December 2009 Hon Rashid Pelpuo Minister
SEIWA ENGINEERING WORKS • Manufacture, supply and installation of sachet water production 8th December 2009 Hon. Rashid Pelpuo Minister
CENTRE FOR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP (CDP) Dzreke Institute of Policy and Youth Dev. • Training in bamboo processing and marketing 29th December 2009 Hon Rashid Pelpuo Minister
JOYCE GIWU GRASSCUTTER FARMS & TRAINING CENTRE

• Training in grass-cutter rearing and marketing
29th December 2009 Hon Rashid Pelpuo Minister
New Vision Consults 15th December 2009 Hon. Rashid Pelpuo
Ghana Young Artisans Movement 29th December 2009 Hon Rashid Pelpuo
MDPI Consulting LTD (goodwill international group) 22nd July 2010 National Coordinator Hon Abuga Pele