… Awarded on the eve of Mills’ installation

Mr. Paul Evan Aidoo, Western Regional Minister EVEN before the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) could launch a full scale investigation into the questionable circumstance under which a 17billion cedi contract was awarded by the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly (TNMA) to a private company without following due process, the Western regional Tender Committee (WRTC) has quickly moved in to suspend the contract. The WRTC, which is chaired by the regional Minister, Hon. Paul Evans Aidoo, suspended the contract when official report was made to the Regional Tender Committee. A source close to the regional Tender committee confirmed the suspension of the contract.

The TNMA Tender Committee, then chaired by the former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr. Mireku-Duker, had on the 6th of January 2008, a day before the swearing in of President John Evans Atta Mills, sat to award a 17 billion cedi building of the Assembly office complex to Wilham Company to execute, without going through the proper procedure.

This, the Tender committee did by defying the Public Procurement Act (PPA) to put the said contract before the regional Tender committee, looking at the amount of money involved in the execution of the contract.

The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Gizito Balance, who was a member of the Tender Committee that awarded the questionable contract, denied in an interview with The Chronicle that the previous administration awarded the said contract on the 6th of January 2009, a day before the

swearing in of President Atta Mills.

The Coordinating Director told this reporter to revise his notes because such a contract was never awarded by the TNMA Tender committee under the former MCE, Mr. Mireku Duker.

Interestingly, the current MCE, Mrs. Christina Cobbinah and the Presiding Member (PM) of the Assembly, Mr. Robert Mensah jointly confirmed that the contract was indeed awarded just a day before the current President was sworn in and that the regional Tender Committee has suspended it. According to the duo, the due process was not followed before the contract was awarded.

Mrs. Cobinnah told The Chronicle that she had been instructed by the WRTC to review the whole contract, looking at the amount involved. The Assembly is currently holding a general meeting and the brouhaha surrounding the award of the contract has been tabled.

Several attempts made to speak to the former MCE, Mr. Mireku Duker proved futile as his cell phone was switched off. Investigation conducted by this reporter indicates that the decision by the regional Tender Committee to suspend the contract was to avert court action.