Ghana lacks brave leaders in Gov’t – Ace Ankomah

• Posted on February 1, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

A member of pressure group Occupy Ghana, Ace Ankomah has lamented government’s weak-willed efforts in retrieving almost GH?200m wrongfully paid to private companies.

Ace Ankomah is shocked that despite Ghana’s ‘beautiful laws’ regulating the management of the public purse, there are no ‘brave leaders’ in government to enforce the laws creating what has become known as the GYEEDA scandal.

His comments come after presidential staffer Sam George announced on Joy FM and Multi TV’s news analysis programme Newsfile Saturday, that with the exception of one subsidiary of AGAMS group, all monies which the service provider received from government illegally in 2012, have been paid back.

“Every money RLG owed the government of Ghana has been recovered. The only subsidiary of [the AGAMS Group] that is still owing government is Craftspro. But RLG has paid, Asongtaba has cleared its indebtedness and so this is a government that is not just speaking, but is walking its talk,” Mr George told show host, Samson Lardy Anyenini.

He did not provide any proof.

Commentary on the whole GYEEDA scandal, lawyer Ace Ankomah is scandalized that people can steal public money and simply be made to refund them even without interest.

GYEEDA gave the monies without parliamentary approval in 2012 and it is not permitted by law for a government agency to loan monies to service providers.

Article 178(2) of the constitution states “No monies shall be withdrawn from any public fund, other than the Consolidated Fund and the Contingency Fund, unless the issue of those monies has been authorised by or under the authority of an Act of Parliament.”

Despite a 2012 budgetary allocation of GH¢20,000,000, GYEEDA was awash with public funds to a colossal tune of more than GH¢199.3 million.

More than 11 service providers took the monies and either under-performed or failed to deliver entirely.

The service providers include Asongtaba Cottage Industries Limited, RLG Communications Limited, Zeera Group Company, Craftpro Limited, New Vision Consult, Ghana Young Artisans Movement, Jioogiwu Agriculture Training Centre, Centre for Development Partners, Ghallywood African Film Village, Goodwill International Group/MDPI, and Seiwa Engineering Works.”

AGAMS Group, owned by Roland Agambire, and Jospong Group, owed by Joseph Siaw Agyapong, took a chunk of the monies.

More soon…

-joyonline