TMA losses GH¢101,000 over Ghana@50 souvenirs

Accra, Aug. 10, GNA - An amount of GH¢101,000 was deducted from the District Assemblies' Common Fund of the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA), to pay for plastic anniversary souvenir cups that were not supplied to the assembly as part of the Ghana@50 celebrations.

Mr Kwaku Akotosu, District Co-ordinating Director of the assembly made this known to the Ghana@50 Presidential Commission of Enquiry on Monday.

"My Lord, we have not distributed any anniversary cups to school children but the amount was deducted from our common fund. We have communicated this to the Ghana@50 Secretariat and we are yet to receive a reply," he said.

Mr Akotosu, who was testifying before the Commission, said even though the Ghana@50 Secretariat gave the assembly GH¢10,000 for the anniversary celebrations, the TMA had drawn a budget of GH¢15,000 for the event, necessitating the assembly to augment the amount from its resources.

He said the Assembly also received Ghana@50 souvenirs from the Secretariat, some of which had been sold and an amount of GH¢34,678.00, that accrued from the sales had been deposited in the Assembly's accounts at the Ghana Commercial Bank in Tema.

Mr Akotosu told the Commission that a number of the souvenirs amounting to GH¢4,816.50, were given out to people as part of measures to whip up the euphoria for the event while the rest had been kept in the Assembly's store.

Asked by the Commission how the assembly intended to recoup the rest of the money, since the directive from the Ghana@50 Secretariat was to sell all the souvenirs and account for them, Mr Akortosu said it was imperative at that time to give out the souvenirs for free to promote the activities leading up to the celebrations.

Mr Alexander Adu Berkoh, Ga West Municipal District Co-ordinating Director, said the Assembly received directives on the sale of anniversary souvenirs, but questioned why GH¢20,598.00 was deducted from their share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund for plastic anniversary cups, when they had not received any such cups.

He said a total of GH¢4,606.77 was realised from the sale of anniversary souvenirs and had since been deposited in the District Assembly's Accounts.

Asked if they had followed up to find out why plastic cups were not supplied and yet deductions were made, Mr Berkoh explained that the Assembly had communicated that to the Ghana@50 Secretariat, but did not receive any reply.

He said the Assembly intended to use the proceeds from the sale of the souvenirs to defray what had been deducted from their common fund.