Director blows ?136m in seven months

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) - A section of the staff of the Garden City Radio (GCR) in Kumasi is fuming about the financial loss caused by the representative of the corporation’s director-general (D-G) at the station while on duty in Kumasi as acting regional director.

They have blamed the loss on delays on the part of management of GBC to reinstate Ms. Rosina Amaning, who was interdicted alongside other officers in October last year.

From 16 October, last year to 21 May, this year, Godwin Avenogbor, the Grand Master, acted as the regional director of GCR in Kumasi, while Ms. Amaning was on interdiction. She has since been cleared by a three-member committee of enquiry headed by a director of radio, Yaw Owusu Addo, which recommended her immediate reinstatement because no serious wrong-doing had been established against her.

Chronicle can report on authority that the GBC had paid out a total of ?136m in respect of accommodation, meals, night allowances and T&T as at May 16, this year. About ?40m out of the lot went into T&T alone.

Miklin Hotel, where D-G Lokko’s rep lodged from December last year to 21 May, this year was yet to submit bills covering the period between 17-21 May when this reporter called to check on phone.

According to financial records available to Chronicle, the GBC spent an average of ?14m per month on Avenogbor who allegedly claims to be very expensive for the position and deserved special treatment while in Kumasi. After two months initial stay at the Cedar Crescent Hotel, the acting regional director relocated to Miklin Hotel where GBC paid $70, the equivalent of ?637.500 per day for the double room for its special guest.

Avenorgbor has since left for Accra to take up a post of director of marketing at GBC, according to rumour among Chronicle sources. (Details of intended promotions at GBC later).

Chronicle investigations have, however, revealed that total expenditure under Avenobor’s directorship from January –March this year recorded an increase of 39% over the same period in 2002 under Ms. Amaning from ?171,281,530.18 to ?238,131,263.45 of which a little over a third went to cover hotel accommodation, T&T and other expenses of the D-G’s rep.

Delving further into the financial operations of the station, Chronicle observed that ?312,581.852.54 was mobilized as total revenue receipts from January to March this year under Avenogbor.

The figure represents 47% growth over the previous years receipts. This growth has been attributed to the increase of over 100% in all chargeable rates including land rent receipts and unpaid salaries.

In the previous year (2002), ?212,604,939.13 was, however, realized over the same period (January-March) under Ms. Amaning’s administration. The growth rate then was 93% described by financial managers as “quite better.”

The percentage increase in chargeable rates between 2001 and 2002 then was only 18%, financial records have shown.

It is against this background that a section of the GBC staff are calling on management to ensure the reinstatement of the interdicted regional director as recommended by the Owusu Addo committee to avoid further waste of resources at the station.

They have also called on the government to intervene and ensure that the recommendations of the committee of enquiry are carried out to the letter to bring sanity into the running of the station.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Chodi has taken over from Avenogbor as the acting regional director of GCR in Kumasi. Chodi, according to Chronicle sources, has decided to stay at a less expensive hotel because he does not want to be part of the rape of the corporation’s resources.