Corruption at GYEEDA: I will prove skeptics wrong, Minister assures

Youth and Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah says skeptics would be proved wrong when the five member committee tasked with the responsibility of reviewing the operations of the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) completes its work.

The Agency made the headlines for all the wrong reasons after investigations proved widespread corruption in the system.

The investigator, Manasseh Azuri Awuni revealed that a report by the National Security which investigated the rot at the agency and recommended prosecution had been kept under wraps for political expediency.

Critics are wondering what impact the report of a five member committee will have on the operations of GYEEDA when a similar report by the national security have been left to gather dust.

But Elvis Afriyie Ankrah told Myjoyonline.com critics will be silenced when the committee presents its report in eight weeks.

“When we started this process we said that we were going to do the review, people did not believe it; we went the next step to freeze payment to the partners, people were still skeptical.

“…The skeptics will still be there. We are going to deliver and the results will speak for itself. As for doubting thomases they are everywhere,” he said.

Asked if he knew the state of the National Security report, the Minister said: “I don’t work with national security. I am the Minister for Youth and Sports and I have instituted a committee and given them clear terms of reference and they will do everything to unravel the issues surrounding GYEEDA.”

He said the committee will find out the actual number of people on the GYEEDA programmes since the 450,000 employees initially reported to be on the various programmes may have been over blown.

Having frozen the allowances to the beneficiaries, the minister said the committee will inform the minister on a bi-weekly basis whether or not beneficiaries should be paid.

The Committee is chaired by Ferdinand Gunn, and has Edward Amuzu, a Lawyer and lead consultant for CHRAJ as the Secretary.

The other members include, Mr. Randolf Nsoh, an Accountant, Kwame Edem Senanu, a member and Mike K. Garba of the Public Services Commission.