Vice-President Strips DCE "Naked"

The recent exposures of the rot and malfeasance at the Manya Krobo District Assembly (MKDA) by 'The Chronicle' were put beyond any doubt at the weekend when the Vice-President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, in a speech at the durbar at Krobo Odumasi to mark the "Ngmayem" festival, gave an account of government's investments in the district to the tune of ?11.5 billion.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the president at the colourful ceremony, Alhaji Mahama mentioned education, health and roads as the strategic areas of investment.

The Vice President's account of ? 11.5 billion investment sharply contrasted the ?4 billion mentioned by the Eastern Regional Minister in his speech earlier on.

"I am gratified that through the Manya Krobo district assembly and other development partners, various development projects worth about ?9.0 billion, have been undertaken in the district".

He said further: "Additionally, KFW and the district assembly are spending ?2.5 billion on the small town water project at Asesewa".

And as the people clapped for the government, this reporter noticed the glaring uneasiness of a few district officials present.

This is because ever since the news of administrative rot was broken nearly two months ago, the district chief executive, Mr. Andrews Kwesi Teye, had hopped from one forum to the other, including radio stations in an attempt to debunk The Chronicle's report drawing attention to malpractices in the award of contracts and the disbursement of over ?7 billion allocated to the district.

Mr. Teye had always insisted that only ?4 billion had passed through his hands as DCE until the vice-president spilled the beans last Friday.

Last September The Chronicle carried reports about illegal award of contracts, fraud, misappropriation and bribery leveled against top officials of the district assembly. The reports cited assembly members who had turned into contractors, contract sums blown out of proportion and illegal purchases made with public funds. At a point, the presiding member of the assembly, Mrs. Regina A. Apotsi, had no option than to express her disgust at the unfortunate development.

Apart from that, it has become obvious now that a large chunk of the contracts went through the backdoor as minutes from the works sub-committee, tender board and technical evaluation board meetings did not show at what points in time they were discussed and scrutinized. And in an attempt to hush the few noisy assembly members some were bribed with government money (?15.2 million).

In a related development, death threats are now being issued to people suspected of siphoning information to The Chronicle on the 'chop chop' saga.

For instance, Mr. Joe Sam, assembly member for Anyomboni electoral area and chairman of the works sub-committee, technical evaluation board and member of the tender board who allocated a ?300million contract to himself through his company, Jonatesco Enterprises, has openly threatened to kill Mr. John Djembi Lawer, member for Osonson/Takorase, on suspicion that he talked to pressmen.

At a meeting of about 30 traditional leaders held at the Church of Pentecost building at Sekesua on Wednesday, October 15, the audience was stunned by the open death threat by Mr. Sam against his fellow assembly member.

He was reported to have advised the traditional leaders to pass on word to Mr. Djembi's relatives and loved ones, to order for a mourning cloth from Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL), because he (Djembi) was going to die in a matter of days.

When 'The Chronicle' visited the area over the weekend, Dadematse Teye Pidjanade, a traditional ruler, who said he was present at the meeting, confirmed the story.

According to Dadematse Pidjanade, many other chiefs were alarmed at the threat and called for its withdrawal since that was not part of the agenda for the day, but all was to no avail. "I followed him after the meeting to impress upon him not to go that far, but Hon. Sam would not change his mind", he added.

But Mr. Djembi said he had received several of such threats so he was not bothered. "While some said they would shoot me others said they would poison me; but this one is interesting because it was issued right in a church building", he pointed out.

He promised to report the matter to the police and said he had since been having discussions with his lawyers.

Barely seven days after the Sekesua threat (Tuesday 21st October) however, Mr. Sam ran into a man at the Trom Junction with his car, killing him instantly.