VRA door shut - as they discuss chop chop

The final report of the auditor general which incorporates allegations against the VRA former Chief Executive who pledged not to go anywhere, but is currently gone somewhere, contains very unflattering comments against the board which is a party of the ?2 billion libel suits against The Chronicle.

Ironically, The Auditor General even used The Chronicle's report as part of his data to write his report as evidenced on page 9 of the report under the title SPONSORSHIP OF DR. JONES OFORI-ATTA OF VRA BOARD ON USA TRIP.

The report specifically said and went on to imply that the board, headed by Dr. Jones Ofori-Atta, virtually drew down curtains in the board room, turned down the lights and firmly sealed the doors behind them as they quietly spoke in undertones how much they should dole out to line their pockets with, even as the authority listed perilously into financial ruin.

"The board secretary informed us that revision of conditions of the board were not discussed and documented at open board meetings. The board discussed and took decisions behind closed doors with respect to their Benefits," the report read.

On what the then Chief Executive did with the huge papers vested him by the act establishing VRA, the alleged energy whiz kid, merely, smiled, and instructed her to go ahead and simply implement the revised and obviously enhanced allowances to them.

Whereupon Dr. Ofori-Atta went for broke and grabbed a lion's share of the allowa, because he is the boss, and the other members scrambled for slightly lower packages, including, incredibly, bonuses.

With the exception of the Chief Executive, who lives in an official residence and therefore was exempted from taking money for electricity tariffs, the board members took ?900,000 each and Jones collected ?1.3 million in cash.

The board members bent over backwards to justify why they should collect. They said Lever Brothers and Nestle were giving their board members Lux soap and Choco Milo so looking round, they cannot see anything tangible to grab, so the logical thing to do is take what VRA produces- electricity!

Dua Agyeman argued in his statement that "the board took a decision to provide for themselves 'samples' of the authority's products in addition to the allowances paid them."

Continuing he wrote, "Although VRA is the generator and transmitter of power, distribution of electricity in the Southern part of Ghana is carried out by the electricity corporation of Ghana. It would therefore have been impracticable for VRA to deduct allocated units from the bills of the board members…"

Spectacularly, the auditor general's report confirmed The Chronicle's report that they were loading themselves with bonuses. Wereko-Brobby also enjoyed the bonuses.

They had transport allowance, sitting allowances, but Jones alone grabbed security allowance and collected for reviewing minutes of meetings. There was apparently no allowance they could think of.

Having allowed them to discuss their allowances in silence and utmost secrecy, they had no problem in approving an astronomical ?1.4 billion for the renovation of work at Wereko-Brobby's official residence.

?1.4 billion is enough to build and furnish a few classrooms and help sort out the problem of schoolchildren learning under trees.

It was gathered that, the board heard that The Chronicle was getting close by so they quickly scrammed and without explanation stopped taking the goodies.

"On 7 May 2003, payment of the new rates was suspended until further notice without assigning reason," the report added.

The Board was appointed by the President to help him run this most important national asset but it appeared that they were inspired by other considerations.

Finally, when Wereko-Brobby decided to gag The Chronicle from reporting on matters of VRA, a major national asset, the board went along with the plan.