Northern Regional Minister, NPP Chair sold over 1300 missing tricycles – NDC

Northern Regional Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress, Alhassan Abdul-Mumin, has accused the Regional Minster, Salifu Sa-eed and the NPP Northern Regional Chairman, Mohammed Baantima Samba, of selling some over 1300 tricycles that went missing in the Northern region under the Northern Development Authority.

According to Alhassaan Abdul-Mumin, this revelation can be found in a statement written by former CEO of Northern Development Authority, Dr Majeed Haroun, to the police CID.

They are therefore calling on the parties involved to “as a matter of urgency pay monies accrued from the sale of their share of the tricycles or return the tricycles to the NDA yard”

The issue of the missing tricycles began when Dr Majeed Haroun, the former CEO of the Northern Development Authority notified the police that some 400 tricycles had gone missing from the authority’s premises.

Salifu Sa-eed however denied having knowledge of these developments.

The Minister said “I wish to state categorically and unequivocally that, I did not direct anyone or group of persons or company to pick any item from the premises of the NDA yard in my name or the Northern Regional Coordinating Council. For the records, I was the same person who ensured the protection of said items upon my appointment until the appointment of the CEO of NDA”

Speaking at a press conference Monday however, the NDC’s Alhassaan Abdul-Mumin, said Salifu Sa-eed and the NPP regional Chairman are aware of the missing tricycles as they alleged that over 1300 have been missing so far.

“The former CEO of NDA, Dr. Majeed’s written statement to the police CID indicted the Northern Regional Minister and the NPP Northern Regional Chairman Samba. He categorically mentioned that the two knew the whereabouts of the missing tricycles and called for them to be investigated.”

“Reliable information available to us indicates the minister and chairman samba also received and sold over 1300 tricycles. As we speak now the two bigwigs have not made any payment to NDA’s account even though the tricycles were sold on cash. Only save-link a company which was horridly formed for the purpose of securing the contract for the tricycle project, has paid about 800,000 Ghana cedis out of an amount of 1,600,000. Our checks revealed that, the payments were made in three tranches to the ADB accounts of SADA/NDA. 250,000 cedis was paid on February, 15, 2020 and 200,000 cedis and 3500,000 were paid on February 16, 2020.”

They are therefore calling on police to release Dr. Majeed’s written statement and are also demanding that Northern Regional Minister and the NPP Northern Regional Chairman Samba to, as a matter of urgency, pay monies accrued from the sale of their share of the tricycles or return the tricycles to NDA yard.

Meanwhile Government has denied that the 400 missing tricycle were stolen.

According to the Deputy Information Minister, Pius Enam Hadzide, the tricycles were rather sold to deserving beneficiaries by the NDA.