Drama in Parliament: Minister refuses to answer questions

...As party colleagues give him cover

It was all drama in Parliament yesterday when the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr. Ernest Debrah, refused to respond to questions bordering on the award of contract for the renovation of the District Chief Executive?s (DCE?s) bungalow at Wenchi in his region.

The minister, who initially in an enthusiastic and confidential mood started to give out all information concerning the award of the contract on the bungalow, suddenly recoiled into his shell when Parliamentarians who are his fellow New Patriotic Party (NPP) members, incessantly interrupted with calls for a point of order to make him dodge probing questions fired by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Wenchi West, Hon. Aseidu Nketiah on the issue.

Getting the hint of his party colleagues that the questions were aimed at trapping him to expose the person behind the award of the seemingly dubious contract and the contractor, the minister stopped his lecture and only said, ?I am not aware? in answer to Asiedu Nketiah?s questions.

He had earlier confidently told the House that he immediately stopped the execution of the contract when he realised that it did not pass through the appropriate channel.

Mr. Debrah had informed the members that a four-member team headed by the acting District Engineer of the Assembly recommended the rehabilitation of the bungalow at an estimated cost of ?73,502,800 after assessing the extent of rehabilitation works needed to be carried out on it, pending the confirmation of the appointment of the DCE.

After the confirmation of the DCE, the Regional Minister told the House, the former was accommodated in a hotel since the official bungalow was in a bad state.

It was later arranged that he should be housed at the Wenchi Farms Institute Guest House, after it was realised that his stay at the hotel, was draining the resources of the Assembly, he said.

However, considering the inconvenience the arrangement was causing both the DCE and the Farm Institute, it became necessary to quickly put the official residence in good shape to enable him settle down to his new appointment.

In view of the urgency involved in executing the work, the minister had noted, the project was ?irregularly awarded? to a contractor pending approval by the Assembly.

This, he said, came to his notice in the course of mobilizing materials to execute the project and as soon as he knew of it, he ordered it to be discontinued immediately and the contract further reviewed, cutting down the estimates to a total sum of ?40 million.

Subsequently, the Regional Minister said, he cautioned the DCE and stressed that the assembly should conduct its operations in an orderly and truthful manner.

Mr. Debrah had indicated that the ?25 million incurred by the contractor in purchasing materials meant for the rehabilitation work on the DCE?s official bungalow was then paid back to him.