General News of Thursday, 23 July 2009

Source: Chronicle

I am ready for any probe -Kofi Jumah

THE FORMER Mayor of Kumasi and MP for Asokwa constituency, Mr. Maxwell Kofi Jumah says he is not perturbed by reports that indicate that the new administration of the Kumasi Metropolis Assembly was planning to probe into his tenure of office at the assembly.

The ever confident and self righteous former MCE said he would avail himself before any committee that would be set up by the assembly to assist and provide them with any vital information necessary for their investigation.

Speaking on Kessben 93.3 FM in reaction to a publication carried out in yesterday’s edition of The Chronicle which indicated that the KMA was reviewing contracts awarded by the previous administration of the NDC and the NPP, Hon. Jumah stated that he welcomes the idea as it falls within the domain of the assembly to embark on such an action, but promised that no single act of financial misappropriation would be found against him.

“If the assembly wants to do a review of contracts awarded by previous administrations, they have the right to do so, but I am not afraid because I know that I did not commit any crime.”

Hon. Jumah said he was sure that he would be exonerated at the end of the day, since it would not be the first time that my administration would be investigated, saying “I have been investigated nine good times, but no single misappropriation has been found against me.”

The former KMA Boss, whose administration at the KMA, between 2001 and 2004, was dogged with a lot of controversies, however, said he would prefer that the committee, which would be set up to do the investigation would not be shrouded in secrecy but would be as open as possible so that the public would know what really transpired during his term of office.

Reports emanating from the on-going general meeting of the assembly under the new Mayor, Mr. Samuel Sarpong, indicate that the Assembly is reviewing contracts awarded by the previous administrations of the NDC and the NPP, which were suspected to have been fraught with irregularities.

The action by the Assembly, according to reports, was based on the fact that most of the contracts and agreements, including those of Build Operate and Transfer (BOT), did not follow due processes.

According to investigations, the past eight years of the New Patriotic Party, under which Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah and Mad. Patricia Appiagyei occupied the KMA hot seat as the Metro Chief Executives, would feature prominently in the ongoing review into contractual agreements of the BOT system, which emanated during their terms of office.