Keta, Anlo residents want DCE removed over corruption

A pressure group, Concerned Citizens of Anloland, has appealed to President Akufo-Addo to remove the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Anlo, Seth Yormewu, within one week, over allegations of corruption.

According to the group, the continues stay of the DCE, will mean encouraging unending dissipation of the public purse for a few at the expense of the entire people of the area.

The Keta based group, at a press conference organized this week, said the activities of the DCE, which they categorized as “corruption”, “organized crimes”, “abuse of power” and “conflict of interest”, are in sharp contrast to the President’s fight against corruption and protection of the public purse.

“We are also calling on His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo to remove Hon. Seth Yormewu, from office within one week since the conducts of Hon. Yormewu, do not represent the promise of the President to fight corruption and protect the public purse.

“We the citizens of Anloland are so much afraid that the continuous stay of Seth Yormewu as the Chief Executive for Anloga District Assembly, will bring no development to Anloland, but rather to enrich Hon. Seth Yormewu and his relatives alone”.

Convener of the group, Wonder Setsoafia Deynu, who accused the DCE of several malfeasance, said during the DCE’s tenure at the Keta Municipal Assembly, “Seth Yormewu awarded illegal roads reshaping contracts to two companies – Zomef Enterprise and Demesco Construction Works owned by Mr. Samuel Dompre and paid GH¢98, 200.00 for no work done”.

Samuel Dompre, doubles as the Engineer of Keta Municipal Assembly. They as a result, called on Samuel Dompre and Seth Yormewu, to as a matter of urgency refund the GH¢98, 200.00 to the Keta Municipal Assembly.

Concerned Citizens of Anloland said, the rots in the two Assemblies, were uncovered by a man they described as Anlo Citizen Vigilante, Gilbert Korbla Keklie, whose painstaking investigations, revealed the high level of corruption, organized crimes, abuse of power and conflict of interest situations in both Keta Municipal Assembly and Anlo District Assembly.

Anlo District Assembly, was calved out of the Keta Municipal Assembly by a Legislative Instrument in 19th February, 2019. It was after the division that the under fire DCE was moved to Anlo, hence his involvement in the two Assemblies.

Mr Yormewu, is accused of transferring moneys donated by the National Lottery Authority (NLA) for the Anloga Town Hall project, to his younger brother, BesahYormevu, citing a case of conflict of interest and theft.The money was to be used for a Town Hall project and it has since stalled.

“It is sad to inform you again that the National Lottery Authority donated Gh¢ 200,000.00 to the Keta Municipal Assembly towards the construction of Anloga Town Hall but Hon. Seth Yormewu paid or transferred Gh¢ 99,500.00 into Prestige Construction owned by his younger brother, BesahYormewu. The balance of GH¢100,500.00 could not be found in any account of the assembly.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Anloga Town Hall project is still in limbo.Where is the money donated by National Lottery Authority for the project? In fact, we need the Anloga Town Hall project to continue and be completed as soon as possible.”

The accusation of corruption did not end there, the group also alleged that before the two Assemblies were divided, the now Anlo DCE started squandering the Assembly’s funds without approval from the General Assembly. They further revealed that the DCE also awarded another contract a “fictitious” contract they alleged to Messrs San-Jay Investment Limited without following the Public Procurement law.

“You could all recall that Anloga District Assembly was inaugurated on 19th February, 2019 and as per the Legislative Instrument that had established the Anloga District Assembly; the assembly must elect its own Presiding Member and shall be in control of the preparation and approval of its own budget.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is very surprising to know that Hon. Seth Yormewu had begun spending from the assembly’s accounts without approval from the General Assembly. This is a violation of Section 170(1&2) of the Local Governance Act, Act 936(2016).

What is more shocking is that in the light of brouhaha currently on -going in the public domain and the media worldwide on the alleged corruption, abuse of power and conflict of interest situations, Hon. Seth Yormewu has awarded fictitious contract for the construction of a 3 – unit classroom block to the sum of Gh¢331,909.00 to Messrs San-Jay Investment LTD. Public Procurement processes were not followed”.

Mr Yormevu was also accused of approving an amount of GH¢10,000.00to an undisclosed person and went on to allege that, the memo for the approval was forged.

“We have sighted a report from some Hon. Assembly Members from the Keta Municipal Assembly. We have read from the report that Hon. Seth Yormewu approved GH¢10,000.00 to an unknown name in August, 2018. The memo for the approval of the GH¢10,000.00 was also forged by unknown person”.

They are therefore given the president two weeks ultimatum to remove the DCE from office or face the wrath of the people of Anlo in a massive demonstration

The DCE, however, denied the allegations and accused some big wigs of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of trying to sabotage his efforts to contest the primaries in Anlo constituency.

Sources close to him disclosed that Mr Yormewu, has advised them wait for the investigation against him to be concluded.

Seth Yormewu, insists he is innocent of the allegation and waiting to be called by the appropriate authorities to respond to the issues.

Below is the full statement

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE ROTS IN KETA MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY AND ANLOGA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY AND OTHER MATTERS.

Ladies, Gentlemen and friends in the media, we greet you all from the Anloland. We humbly extend our warm greetings to AwormefiaTorgbui Sri lll, Anlo Traditional Council, Anlo Christian Council, Anlo Youth Council, Market Women and Men, Farmers, Fisher folks, Government workers, Tailors, Hairdressers, etc. and the entire people of our Motherland Anlo. We wish to thank you all for honouring this invitation even though we gave you short notice. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have gathered here today to express our dissatisfaction about the rots in both Keta Municipal Assembly and Anloga District Assembly.

Ladies and Gentlemen, two weeks ago, Anlo Citizen Vigilante, Hon. Gilbert Korbla Keklie uncovered some high level of corruption, organised crimes, abuse of power and conflict of interest situations in both Keta Municipal Assembly and Anloga District Assembly. The rots uncovered include but are not limited to the following: Ladies and Gentlemen, two weeks ago, Anlo Citizen Vigilante, Hon. Gilbert Korbla Keklie uncovered some high level of corruption, organized crimes, abuse of power and conflict of interest situations in both Keta Municipal Assembly and Anloga District Assembly. The rots uncovered include but are not limited to the following:

ROADS RESHAPING SAGA

Keta Municipal Assembly under the leadership of Hon. Seth Yormewu awarded illegal roads reshaping contracts to two companies – Zomef Enterprise and Demesco Construction Works owned by Mr. Samuel Dompre and paid Gh¢98, 200.00 for no work done. We are calling on Mr. Samuel Dompre and the Hon. Seth Yormewu to as a matter of urgency refund the Gh¢98, 200.00 to the Keta Municipal Assembly.

ASSEMBLY’S GRADER IS FOR PRIVATE USE

The only grader that generates revenues for the Keta Municipal Assembly is now in the name of Mr. Samuel Dompre. He hired the grader to Kapra Ltd for Gh¢700.00 per day instead of Gh¢900.00 per day as approved in the Fees Fixing Resolution of the assembly. Mr. Samuel Dompre with support from the former Municipal Coordinating Director, (Mr Maxwell Gyimah) signed an illegal agreement with Kapra Ltd for the use of the grader without the knowledge of the General Assembly. This amounts to violation of Section 21(3) of the Local Governance Act, Act 936(2016). The grader has now broken down and needs about Gh¢20,000.00 for repairs.

We are calling on Mr. Samuel Dompre and Hon. Seth Yormewu to ensure the assembly’s grader is brought to the assembly under good condition in two weeks’ time

.PAYMENT OF GH¢ 99,500.00 TO PRESTIGE CONSTRUCTION FOR NO WORKS DONE.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is sad to inform you again that the National Lottery Authority donated Gh¢ 200,000.00 to the Keta Municipal Assembly towards the construction of Anloga Town Hall but Hon. Seth Yormewu paid or transferred Gh¢ 99,500.00 into Prestige Construction owned by his younger brother, BesahYormewu. The balance of Gh¢100,500.00 could not be found in any account of the assembly.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Anloga Town Hall project is still in limbo.

Where is the money donated by National Lottery Authority for the project? In fact, we need the Anloga Town Hall project to continue and be completed as soon as possible.

PAYMENT OF GH¢10,000.00 FROM UNICEF FUNDING TO A GHOST NAME

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have sighted a report from some Hon. Assembly Members from the Keta Municipal Assembly. We have read from the report that Hon. Seth Yormewu approved GH¢10,000.00 to an unknown name in August, 2018. The memo for the approval of the GH¢10,000.00 was also forged by unknown person.

HON. SETH YORMEWU IS CURRENTLY RUNNING ANLOGA DISTRICT ASSEMBLY AS HIS PRIVATE ENTITY

Ladies and Gentlemen, you could all recall that Anloga District Assembly was inaugurated on 19th February, 2019 and as per the Legislative Instrument that had established the Anloga District Assembly; the assembly must elect its own Presiding Member and shall be in control of the preparation and approval of its own budget. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is very surprising to know that Hon. Seth Yormewu, had begun spending from the assembly’s accounts without approval from the General Assembly. This is a violation of Section 170(1&2) of the Local Governance Act, Act 936(2016). What is more shocking is that in the light of brouhaha currently on -going in the public domain and the media worldwide on the alleged corruption, abuse of power and conflict of interest situations, Hon. Seth Yormewu has awarded fictitious contract for the construction of a 3 – unit classroom block to the sum of Gh¢ 331,909.00 to Messrs San-Jay Investment LTD. Public Procurement processes were not followed.

WITHDRAWAL OF FRAUDULENT MONEY FROM ANLO AFIADENYIGBA

COMMUNITY WATSAN’S ACCOUNT

Ladies and Gentlemen, bank statement from GCB Ltd available to us reveal that on July 10, 2018, Mr Samuel Dompre, the Engineer of Keta Municipal Assembly withdrew Gh¢ 100,695.00 in the name of Demesco Construction Works from Anlo Afiadenyigba Community Watsan board’s account for no work done.

Ladies and Gentlemen, again our checks from the Registrar General’s Department in Accra show that Zomef Enterprise and Demesco Construction Works that were fraudulently used for the Roads Reshaping at Anlo Afiadenyigba Nyravase and Aborlorve – Anyako Kpota for which Hon. Seth Yormewu approved Gh¢ 98,200.00 for no works done belong to the Keta Municipal Assembly’s Engineer Mr. Samuel Dompre.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we were so much saddened to hear on Jubilee Radio on 30th August, 2019 that Mr. Samuel Dompre seriously confronted Hon. Gilbert Korbla Keklie, the Anlo Citizen Vigilante who uncovered all the above allegations. We sent our warnings to Mr Dompre to apologize to the public for what he did but all fell on deaf ears.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in view of all the above issues of corruption, conflict of interest and abuse of public office or power allegations issued, we the citizens of Anloland cannot sit down unconcerned and allow monies meant for the developmental projects to be shared among a few individuals in our district assemblies.

The Local Governance Act, Act 936(2016) allows us citizens to hold all public officers including the representatives of the central government in our district assemblies accountable for how monies meant for our municipal and district assemblies are used.

We are therefore giving Mr. Samuel Dompre up to Friday, September 20, 2019 to resign from his position as the Keta Municipal Assembly Works Engineer since he did not respect our calls to apologize to the public for confronting Hon. Keklie. We are tired of the disrespect and abuse of power.

Are the monies not meant for our own community development? Don’t we have the rights to hold public officers accountable for how monies meant for our district assemblies are used? Ladies and Gentlemen, we are also calling on His Excellency Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo to remove Hon. Seth Yormewu from office within one week since the conducts of Hon. Yormewu do not represent the promise of the President to fight corruption and protect the public purse. His Excellency, we the citizens of Anloland are so much afraid that the continuous stay of Hon. Seth Yormewu as the Chief Executive for Anloga District Assembly will bring no development to Anloland, but rather to enrich Hon. Seth Yormewu and his relatives alone.

We are also appealing to government to call contractors on Shime and Anlo Afiadenyigba Havedzi roads back to the sites since the roads are in very deplorable conditions. We are reminding government of our shares of One District One Factory Policy as well as the construction of Keta Port and the Water Project for Anyako as promised. Ladies and Gentlemen and the media, we thank you all for coming. God bless Keta Municipal Assembly and Anloga District Assembly! God bless Volta Region! God bless Ghana. Delivered by: Wonder Setsoafia Deynu