‘Competent’ Akufo-Addo issuing dud cheques

Information available to The aL-hAJJ indicate that payment cheques and/or advice issued by the Akufo-Addo government in honor of its obligations to some state employees (past & present), Suppliers of Goods and Services; Building and Road contractors are not being honored by the banks.

According to reports, some government Employees, including retiring officials; Roads and Building Contractors and government Suppliers who presented their cheques and payment advice issued by the Akufo-Addo government to their respective banks had egg on their faces as they were told government had no funds in its accounts.

Incensed by government’s insincerity, some of the affected persons, this paper has gathered, have written strongly worded letters to the Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare and the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, threatening legal action if government does not rectify the anomaly by the end of this month.

“Recently we complained to the Chief of Staff over non-payment of monies government owed us. She promised to do something about it. We were subsequently issued with Bank of Ghana cheques as part payment of our debts. We presented these cheques to our banks only to be told that the cheques could not clear because government had no funds,” a renowned contractor who for obvious reasons does not want to be named told The aL-hAJJ.

The aL-hAJJ is also reliably informed that some appointees of the outgone John Mahama administration have also had cheques issued them as part of payments for their ex-gratia bounced.

Some senior members of the NDC administration have confirmed that they have since February presented the cheques to their banks several times, but they were returned on each occasion on account that; government’s account has dried up.

“Our banks have returned the cheques government gave us. I have presented mine to my bank four times but it has not cleared. When I complained to the Chief of Staff, I was told I should keep trying until it is honored,” an appointee of the Mahama government recently told The Herald newspaper.

The aL-hAJJ has been informed that, most government accounts have dried up, resulting in the Akufo Addo government’s inability to fulfill its financial obligation to contractors, suppliers and some public sector workers.

President Akufo-Addo himself has openly admitted how his government is struggling to raise funds to meet its commitments. “There are some things that should be easy to deal with but will prove difficult for some time to come largely because there is no money. But now arrangements are being put place that will enhance the generation by the state,” the president explained.

The President bluntly told a meeting with leadership of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) in the wake of protests and threats of strikes from a number of labour unions, President Akufo-Addo said “the economic situation my government and I inherited was not the best; both in terms of the growth of our economy and the balances available in the public treasury. Many of the problems you are putting here are the results of a poor office treasury.”

“If we had money in the public system, you would find that many of the issues that concern you would not be there,” he stated.