Govt to act decisively against non-performing managers

Accra, April 21, GNA - The Government would act promptly and decisively against officials of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), found wanting of best practices, President John Agyekum Kufuor, has warned. "We would take pre-emptive action to thank and ease you out", he stated, at the closing of a two-day MiDA Staff Induction Programme at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), on Friday.

President Kufuor said although the Government was not going to breath down on their necks, it definitely, would demand from them transparency and accountability in the management of funds from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).

MiDA, is a body set up to manage the 547 million dollar investment fund from the United States (US) meant to help modernize Ghana's agriculture.

The country has already received an initial disbursement for the year, totaling 52 million dollars.

President Kufuor told them; "We have to succeed with best practices to convince not only the US but other development partners that, the country is worthy of taking more of such grants." He said what the people expected from them as managers of the funds, was high leadership ethics laced with sacrifice, adding that, they should have a sense of ownership for the project. President Kufuor was confident that the impact of the project would go beyond the 23 selected districts and ripple throughout the national economy.

He said Ghana was counting on MiDA to take it to the new world of modernized agriculture. Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reform and Chairman of the MiDA Board, said the challenge was for them to prove that they were indeed the right people for the job by doing what was right for the rural poor.

The Chief Executive, Mr Martin Eson Benjamin, gave the assurance that the Authority would operate above board and deliver its goals in a professional and timely manner.

He said, he was convinced that Ghana would continue to improve on all the MCA indicators to stay eligible for the investment grant. The MCA is the US Government's reward for countries that rule justly and invest in their peoples to fight poverty. 21 April 2007