A Former Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba has denied assertions that it has always been the norm at the Northern Regional Coordinating Council for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to contribute money each time the President was visiting the Region.

“I have been a Regional Minister for four years and there was no time I asked any MMDCE to contribute money because the President was visiting. I never did that and I am challenging anyone who has anything contrary to prove it”, he disclosed in an exclusive interview with mynewsgh.com.

According to him, any spending that was done was catered for by the presidency each time he was on official duties in each of the regions citing instances where they were warned against spending on the President from the regional coffers.

“The Chief of Staff was the spending officer for the President and catered for any expenditure he incurred. It was only on one occasion we spent on the Vice President [John Dramani Mahama] and even with that, the money was later refunded when we sent the receipts and supporting documents to the Presidency”, he clarified.

Mr Mabengba who is Ghana’s former envoy to Angola said any attempt to take cash from MMDAs toward the visit by the president is a deliberate attempt by some unseen hands to fleece the MMDCEs and the assemblies and must be resisted.

He, however, stated that in cases where the President is expected to cut sod for a project in an area far from the residency, the DCE for the area is required to refresh him and his entourage but not give money to someone to facilitate that.

Meanwhile, the Northern Regional Minister Salifu Sa-eed has since revoked the letter signed by the Chief Director of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council directing MMDCEs to pay GH¢5,000.