MP CAR LOANS: Taking us for a 50,000-dollar ride

Call it the Accra Auto Show and you may not be far from the truth. The various car dealerships in Accra have turned much of the space around Parliament House into some sort of an exhibition centre where they are displaying their four-wheel merchandise to lawmakers. Last Friday, instead of sitting their bums down to do the work they have been elected to do MPs spent a lot of time moving from one dealer to another checking out the latest automobile models. “I want to get a VW Touareg or a Nissan,” one MP said. From his tone and the way he pronounced Nissan (“Nissain”, he said), you can tell he is an MP from the hinterland (not very exposed to the automobiles) and until that day, all he could do was dream of owning a luxurious 4-Wheel-drive. Now, his dream is about to become reality – thanks to government’s decision to approve an auto-loan of 50,000 dollars for each MP. The cash will not be drawn from the national kitty. What is going to happen is that government will guarantee the loans from a couple of banks, which will release the funds directly to the auto dealers after each MP had driven away the luxury sedan or SUV of his choice. Then over a period of four years, the MPs will repay the loans from their salaries. It sounds like a good plan, doesn’t it? But it’s not! We have seen this before. Under John Kufuor, MPs were given a similar facility. In fact, under Kufuor loans were much smaller at just 20,000 dollars. Yet a good number of them failed to pay back, leaving government with the burden of clearing their debts at the expense of the taxpayer. When this happened, President Mills was not helping with the repair works on the international space station. He hadn’t taken a vacation to the moon. Perhaps, he was somewhere receiving medical treatment but he was right here on this planet and he knows about the backlash that greeted Kufuor’s mistake of guaranteeing car loans to MPs. Most Ghanaians saw it as a scheme by our political leaders to fleece the nation. It was the issue of MPs car loans that made most Ghanaians realise politicians have the ability to bury their petty differences to act for their common good. President Mills’ decision to repeat the mistake of guaranteeing auto-loans for MPs (and grant them even more than Kufuor did) will only make sense to those who will benefit from it. Rumour has it that the President didn’t actually want to guarantee the loans but MPs from his own party wrung his hands and forced him to do it. If this is true, it only adds to the perception that the pair between his legs is as soft as dough. If he knows that the right thing to do is not to guarantee the loans, why will he bow to pressure and do what he knows to be wrong? As it was under Kufuor, this decision to guarantee loans for MPs should be condemned because it demonstrates once again that our politicians see themselves as better human beings than the rest of us. When teachers, police officers and civil servants do not get government guaranteed loans, it is unfair (even immoral) for MPs to be given such preferential treatment. We should not fall for the deception that this is just a loan and it will be paid back in due course. Realistically, few MPs can afford to repay this facility from their parliamentary salaries over the four-year period. The average MP earns about 3,000 dollars per month. Interest rates are hovering around 30 percent. By law, people (including MPs) are not allowed to spend more than 40% of their monthly earnings on servicing loans. So do the maths! And this is where the politicians pull a fast one on us. It is inevitable, therefore, that the taxpayer will eventually have to pick up the tab for clearing the MPs’ debts. According to the arrangements being worked out, MPs who fail to repay the loans will have monies deducted from their ex-gratia for the purpose. With the public outrage that greeted the publication of the ex-gratia awards for MPs and Kufuor, a good number of Ghanaians expected President Mills to bring this ex-gratia nonsense to an end. But since ex-gratia is being mentioned as an integral part of the auto-loan deal for MPs, we can assume that nothing has changed. We are going to be forced to dole out hefty sums of money as “gifts” – for that’s what ex-gratia means – for men and women who voluntarily opted to stand for election as MPs, supposedly to serve us. This is not the change Ghanaians voted for, is it? Here, once again, is proof that politics is the easiest road to privilege and wealth in this country. Our politicians are still determined to use their positions to enrich themselves and get all of life’s niceties whiles the rest of us struggle to even get water to drink. This idea of government guaranteeing loans for MPs is sickening. It doesn’t make sense that a government – proclaiming austerity – has taken on the extra financial burden of spending 11.5 million dollars on luxury cars for MPs. It’s a mistake. They are literally taking us for an expensive ride and most of us will not enjoy it. It’s a mistake for which we are going to pay dearly. Source: http://atokd.com/blogContent.aspx?blogID=177

After the mouthwash, ‘Triple M’ gets a whitewash!

Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed has been covered – not cleared. Last night, Mr. Mubarak tendered in his resignation as Youth and Sports and President Mills gladly accepted it. That’s ironic considering that he resigned on the same day government issued a statement which suggested that he had been exonerated of allegations that he had made irregular and senseless expense claims. Government’s position is based on the report of a National Security Agency investigation into the allegations. On one hand, the report stridently defends Mr. Mubarak. It even goes to the extent of asserting that a former director at the ministry, Emmanuel Owusu-Ansah, teamed up with Mr. Mubarak’s main accuser “to create problems for the minister”. “Mr. Adim Odoom [the accuser] typed his allegations on Dr. Owusu Ansah’s laptop in Dr. Owusu Ansah’s office,” the government statement says. On the other hand, the report confirms some of the allegations that were made against Mr. Mubarak. For example, he actually made claims for diapers and mouthwash and took more per diem than he was due. He also has in his possession a government vehicle – the one his accuser claimed he had allocated to his wife and he also charged the state for flying his family from Accra to Kumasi. On all of these, the minister’s wrongs are incredibly blamed on his accusers. On the issue of per diem for example, the presidency takes the untenable position that the “amount was authorized by the Chief Director, Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, but the Minister had no knowledge of what his per diem for the travel was supposed to be.” On Mr. Mubarak’s decision to make the state pay for his family’s air fares from Accra to Kumasi the report states: “The Minister requested for he and his family to travel to Kumasi by air. The Chief Director endorsed the request by the Minister. The request was backed with a memo. The Chief Director did not advise the Minister that his family was not entitled to these tickets.” The government therefore has taken the position that by failing to advise the minister, the chief director engaged in some wrongdoing. This is utter rubbish. In any case, why would government take the minister’s word that he wasn’t advised (or he didn’t know)? What if he was actually advised and he failed to heed wise counsel? The reason is simple. Politicians have a way of covering their own. Government has been so embarrassed by this scandal it needed to make an example of someone. However, making an example of the man who should actually be punished will give fodder to the opposition and that’s the last thing the young administration needs. So they decided to pounce on the whistle blower (the hapless accountant) and the chief director of the ministry. They have been interdicted and the head of the civil service has been instructed to apply “appropriate sanctions against them”. Meanwhile, the (former) minister – who illegally made claims for mouthwash and diapers – walks away with a mere reprimand and an order to refund the monies he forced the government to spend on his girlfriend during a trip to Germany. “The President is dissatisfied with the conduct of the Minister in his decision to embark on the German trip with Ms. Edith Zinayela and in particular in his decision to apply for a visa for her in circumstances that amounted to a mis-description of her official position,” the government statement says. “The decision for the Ministry to pay for Ms. Zinayela’s visa fee was equally improper. It was an error of judgment on the part of the Minister from which it is hoped all other appointees will learn.” I think “mis-description” amounts to fraud and on this score alone, Mr. Mubarak deserves to be punished. He should have been pushed out of office but he has simply been helped to jump off – just to save his face and save the government from further embarrassment, his grave misdeeds watered down to “an error of judgment”. He should also be sanctioned for making those illegal expense claims – whether he knew or not. Last time I checked, innocence was not an excuse. Is it now an excuse under the NDC? So now anyone can take whatever they like and turn around to say that they were not aware of what they could or could not take? Mr. Mubarak unwittingly (and very foolishly) gave the president an opportunity to show us that he (the president) is more serious about dealing with corruption than his predecessor did. That opportunity has been squandered and now public officials have even been given a couple of extra excuses to indulge themselves. With “I didn’t know” and “I wasn’t advised” and they can practically do anything they want. The president has also silenced a good number of those who were getting ready to blow the whistle on corrupt officials by ordering that the (former) minister’s main accuser and the chief director of the ministry should be sanctioned. It is, indeed, “outrageous” – as the presidency says – that the “Chief Director and the Principal Accountant, if they are to be believed, paid out sums of money as large as $10,000 on two separate occasions without any documentation and without any evidence whatsoever.” But this should surprise no one. I am taking the position that Muntaka went to the ministry like a dictator, making demands left, right and centre without listening to anyone. It is possible that the monies were paid to him and he pompously refused to write receipts for them. If I make payment to my boss from the company kitty and he refuses to give me a receipt, what do I do? I either shut the hell up or report to his superior. In this case, the accountant reported the case to the (former) minister’s superior and this is a crime for which he is interdicted, with the sceptre of sanctions looming over his head? The chief director confirms the accountant’s claims that he took monies to be given to the minister. It’s the minister who claims that he took no such monies. Once again, his word against his accusers. Reading the investigative the report, I want to stand behind the accusers. The decision to sanction Mr. Odoom for not taking receipts from the minister sound absurd to me. It’s equally absurd that the president is annoyed with the chief director and the accountant for allowing the minister to make expense claims for monies he spent on mouthwash and diapers. “The Chief Director or the Principal Accountant should have vetted the receipt and exempted items which were not allowable,” the presidency says. “Items like baby oil, baby food and mouth wash should have been disallowed even though they formed a seemingly insignificant part of the bill. The Minister on discovering that this amount had been refunded demanded to withdraw the receipt but the Principal Accountant Mr. Adim Odoom assured him that everything was in order and that he had paid the refund from the imprest which was normal.” If I had been in the (former) minister’s shoes – as stupid as I am – I would have insisted on the right thing being done despite the accountant’s assurances that everything “was in order”. He didn’t do what he knew to be right. For this as well, he should have been punished and not let off the hook in such a manner. So Mr. Mubarak has gotten a white-wash and whistle-blowing in this country has been dealt a terrible blow. Government’s handling of this matter will effectively force a lot prospective whistle-blowers – in the public service, especially – to tuck their whistles in their pockets. You dare not bring that whistle anywhere near your mouth. Otherwise, the dogs of national security will be set loose on you. They will intimidate you and turn around to accuse you of wrongdoing – for failing to advise your boss on what he can or cannot take or do. They will take your boss’ words over yours and leave you to rot under interdiction. If this is “probity and accountability” then I will have none of it!

MUNTAKA: The cover-up report in full

Alhaji Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, former Sports Minister I thought initially that this document had been widely publicised on the web. That's why I didn't put it out earlier. But it seems many visitors to this site have not seen or read it. So here is it in full. After reading help clear the "cobwebs" (ahem!) in my head by answering this question: how does this report exonerate Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed? >>> Investigations by National Security into the allegations against Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, Minister of Youth and Sports, have been completed and a report submitted to the President. The following could not be established: The Minister collected US$2,000.00 imprest for the finals of the 1st CHAN tournament in Abidjan. The Minister collected US$10,000.00 for landing rights for the aircraft which took the government delegation to the CHAN finals in Abidjan. The Minister personally arranged for accommodation and feeding of the Black Star players in Kenya and Sudan. The Minister was paid GHC15,200.00 as refund for meat and food items The Minister’s wife was allocated VW Passat No. GT 1351 Z. The Minister demanded immediate payment of or was paid GHC1,000. per match for the services of a Mallam. The Minister requested or collected GHC12,000 for gifts for the Minister’s constituency on his last trip to Kumasi. The Minister allocated to himself or was allocated five (5) official vehicles. The following were established: The Minister collected a per diem allowance of GHC2,000 for the Ghana-Benin match. This amount was authorized by the Chief Director, Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, but the Minister had no knowledge of what his per diem for the travel was supposed to be. Ms. Edith Zinayela (Secretary to the Majority Leader in Parliament) was part of the Minister’s entourage to the finals of CHAN tournament in Abidjan at the expense of the Government. After the delegation returned from Abidjan, the Minister sought the advice of the Chief Director of the Ministry who instructed the Principal Accountant to purchase the ticket for Ms. Zinayela by raising a memo for the purpose. The Minister received a letter from the National Sports Council requesting the release of GHC1,410,051.58. The Minister minuted the letter to his Chief Director for the necessary action. The Chief Director presented the Minister with a duly prepared letter for his signature which the Minister signed after being convinced that due diligence had been followed. This amount was not released by the Ministry of Finance to the National Sports Council. The Minister requested that arrangement for accommodation and feeding of the Black Stars players in Kenya and Sudan should be done by Tour Operators to enable the Ministry make some savings. This did not go down well with the Ministry officials. The Principal Accountant, Mr. Adim Odoom, and an official of GFA had earlier visited Mali to make arrangements for the Black Stars without the knowledge of the Minister. They were about to do the same for Kenya and Sudan when the Minister found out and ordered them to stop. The Minister requested for he and his family to travel to Kumasi by air. The Chief Director endorsed the request by the Minister. The request was backed with a memo. The Chief Director did not advise the Minister that his family was not entitled to these tickets. The Ministry refunded to the Minister an amount of GHC674.02 for items the Minister was entitled to as protocol and entertainment. The Chief Director or the Principal Accountant should have vetted the receipt and exempted items which were not allowable. Items like baby oil, baby food and mouth wash should have been disallowed even though they formed a seemingly insignificant part of the bill. The Minister on discovering that this amount had been refunded demanded to withdraw the receipt but the Principal Accountant Mr. Adim Odoom assured him that everything was in order and that he had paid the refund from the imprest which was normal. The Minister’s driver presented for refund a receipt for the Minister’s household items totaling GHC1,520 and not GHC15,200 as alleged but this amount was never refunded. Ms. Edith Zinayela was part of the Minister’s entourage to Germany on the invitation of Souito Sports Management Group. Her visa fee was paid by the Ministry. Alhaji Abdulai Yakubu (Director of Finance and Administration at the Ministry) authorized a certain payment because the Chief Director was in Tamale and would be away for a week. The accountant objected to his authorization. The Minister directed that the documents be re-routed for the approval and authorization of the Chief Director. The following were also established: Under the close eye of the Minister, savings were made as a result of the payment of graduated bonuses as well as cuts in the payment of bonuses to officials. These monies were returned to government chest and the Chief of Staff was informed in writing. The Chief Director, Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, acknowledged that Mr. Ebenezer Lomotey, another Accountant at the Ministry, handed over US$10,000.00 to him (the Chief Director) to be given the Minister. The Chief Director could however not recollect exactly where he gave the money to the Minister neither could he show any documentary proof of having handed the money over to the Minister. The Minister denied having received any such money. The Principal Accountant, Mr. Adim Odoom, indicated that he gave US$10,000.00 to the Chief Director for onward delivery to the Minister for payment of landing rights for the CHAN finals in Abidjan. There is no evidence that the Chief Director handed over this amount to the Minister. The Minister denied having received any such money. The Vehicle VW Passat No GT 1351 Z was formerly used by Dr. Emmanuel Owusu Ansah, Director of Sports Development at the Ministry. The decision of the Minister to take that car did not go down well with Dr. Owusu Ansah to the extent that he decided to retire before his retirement date. This source of conflict between Dr. Owusu Ansah and the Minister apparently caused him to team up with others like the Principal Accountant Mr. Adim Odoom to create problems for the Minister. Mr. Adim Odoom typed his allegations on Dr. Owusu Ansah’s laptop in Dr. Owusu Ansah’s office. Dr. Owusu Ansah admitted that he took copies of the allegations to Mr. Kofi Adams for the attention of former President Rawlings. He also gave copies to other persons. His Excellency the President has accepted the findings of the National Security and has decided as follows: The Principal Accountant, Mr. Adim Odoom, indicated that he gave US$10,000.00 to the Chief Director, Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong, for onward delivery to the Minister. Mr. Ampong acknowledged receipt of this amount. However, there is no evidence that Mr. Ampong handed over the money to the Minister. Mr. Lomotey, another accountant at the Ministry, indicated that he gave the Chief Director US$10,000.00 for onward delivery to the Minister. Mr. Ampong acknowledged receipt of same. However, there is no evidence that Mr. Ampong handed over the money to the Minister. His Excellency the President has therefore directed that the Chief Director of the Ministry of Youth and Sports refund the amount of US$ 20,000.00 to Government coffers. The Chief Director and the Principal Accountant of the Ministry of Youth and Sports failed to follow laid down administrative and financial regulations and procedures required of Civil Servants. The President finds it particularly outrageous that the Chief Director and the Principal Accountant, if they are to be believed, paid out sums of money as large as $10,000 on two separate occasions without any documentation and without any evidence whatsoever. On the other hand, if the moneys were not paid, then their allegation would amount to a fabrication against the Minister, an equally serious offence. On either score, the conduct of the two officials would be conduct unbecoming of the high positions they hold in the Civil Service. His Excellency the President has accordingly directed that the Head of Civil Service should apply appropriate sanctions against Mr. Albert Anthony Ampong and Mr. Adim Odoom. Pending the decision of the Head of Civil Service, the two officials are to be interdicted. His Excellency the President has also ordered an audit into the affairs of the Sports Division of the Ministry of Youth and Sports covering the period 2001 to 2009 as well as a review of the organization, role and structure of the Ministry of Youth and Sports as recommended by the National Security investigation report. The President is satisfied that the Minister’s actions in cutting down on waste and curtailing frivolous expenditure is what incurred the displeasure of some officials of the Ministry and caused them to gang up against him. The President commends the Minister in this regard. His Excellency the President is dissatisfied with the conduct of the Minister in his decision to embark on the German trip with Ms. Edith Zinayela and in particular in his decision to apply for a visa for her in circumstances that amounted to a mis-description of her official position. The decision for the Ministry to pay for Ms. Zinayela’s visa fee was equally improper. It was an error of judgment on the part of the Minister from which it is hoped all other appointees will learn. Consequently, His Excellency the President has decided to accept the Minister’s decision to resign his position as Minister of Youth and Sports and to thank him for the services that he has rendered to the state. The President has also accepted the Minister’s offer to make good to the state all liabilities incurred on account of Ms. Zinayela’s trip to Germany including the cost of the visa fee. Signed: Mahama Ayariga Presidential Spokesperson Credit: Ato Kwamena Dadzie Visit Ato here

Ayariga: Calls for Muntaka prosecution misplaced

Presidential spokesperson Mahama Ayariga Presidential spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga says calls for former Sports Minister, Muntaka Mubarak, to be prosecuted are misplaced. Mr. Ayariga said those urging prosecution have no legal basis to back their arguments. Government has been criticised by a section of the public for absolving the former minister of any wrongdoing in corruption allegations made against him. Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Atta Akyea is the latest to join in criticising government for using the Bureau for National Investigations (BNI) instead of the police to investigate Alhaji Muntaka. The BNI investigations that cleared the former minister also found him guilty of misrepresentation. According to the BNI report, Alhaji Muntaka acquired a visa for his alleged girlfriend Edith Zinayela by falsely presenting her to embassy officials as an executive administrative officer of the Sports Ministry. She travelled with the minister to Germany at the expense of the state. This, according to critics is a clear case of fraud for which the Asawasi MP should be prosecuted. Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, Lawyer Atta Akyea insisted the investigations were not meant to do justice to the allegations. In a quick response, however, the former minister who has offered to refund monies spent on Zinayela during his trip to Germany, told Joy News he personally did not deal with documentations on his trips including the acquisition of visas. Meanwhile anti-corruption campaigner Daniel Batidam wants government to demonstrate serious commitment to fighting corruption by allowing the appropriate state agencies to investigate ministers and public officials accused of wrongdoing. There is also concern about the interdiction of the Principal Accountant at the Ministry, Adim Odoom who many consider the whistle blower in the Muntaka case. Mr Odoom and the Chief Director of the ministry were recommended for sanctions by the Head of Civil Service for their roles in the scandal. Source: Myjoyonline.com

Attorney General: Muntaka’s accuser not whistle blower

Mrs Betty Mould, Attorney General and Minister of Justice has dismissed assertions the Principal Accountant at the Sports Ministry, Adim Odoom is a whistle blower.

Mr Odoom in a 17 point allegation accused the Sports Minister, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak of widespread corruption and misappropriation of funds.

The Minister was probed but was exonerated of all allegations by National Security for lack of evidence, leading to the interdiction of his accuser- Odoom and the resignation of the Minister.

Anti-corruption campaigners have chided the president who ordered the interdiction, saying the action might deter future whistle blowers from blowing the cover of corrupt public officials.

But in an interview with Citi news on Monday, the Attorney General said the accusations were not made under the cover of a whistle blower.

She explained whistle blowers provide information only on condition of anonymity, adding, that was not the case with Mr. Adim Odoom.

Mrs Mould maintained Mr. Odoom was willing and ready to defend his accusations, a reason why he sent them to the President with his signature boldly appended.

She was however silent on the next line of action to be taken against the Principal Accountant.


Story by Nathan Gadugah/myjoyonline.com

Ghana: Mills Interrogates Sports Minister Over Corruption Allegations

Bismark Bebli

4 June 2009

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President Mills has interrogated his Minister of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarrak over allegations that he airlifted his girl friend, one Edith Zineuali to the finals of the CHAN tournament in Abidjan, which hotel bills were picked up by the state. This was after the President had been informed about the activities of the Minister at the Ministry.

Hon. Muntaka, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legislator for Asawase in the Ashanti Region is also being accused of allocating a VW Passat vehicle with registration number GT 1351 Z to his wife, contrary to laid down procedures at the Ministry.

This paper gathered that with the avalanche of allegations levelled against him, President John Evans Atta Mills summoned the honourable Minster to the Castle, where he was grilled over a number of hours, to provide answers to the allegations to enable action to be taken by government.

In a report prepared by Mr. Adim Odoom, the Principal Accountant at the Sports Ministry and sent to the President, he catalogued the allegations ranging from per diems that the Minister took, how the Minister single handedly managed issues with regard to the Ministry, how he requested a refund of GH¢5,200 with a receipt in the name of one Zinabu, in respect of meat and other food items purchased from the market, another GH¢674.02 also in respect of baby oil, baby food, mouth wash and other household items.

According to Mr. Odoom, the Minister also allegedly requested for GH¢1000 per match for the services of a Mallam and demanded the cash with immediate effect.

"The Hon. Minister collected $25,000 but released only $13,000 to the GFA for the payment of protocol. The GFA had actually spent $18,000 on the exercise," he said, adding that the Accountant and the Chief Director contacted the Minister but he could not defend his position.

He alleged that since his assumption of office, the Minister took US$2000 as imprest to cater for hotel bills and other expenses at the tournament, but rather made the imprest holder of the Ministry pay all his expenses, and he has refused to acknowledge receipt of the money.

Accordingly, he said, contrary to reports that some individuals sponsored the recent Cote d'Ivoire trip, the Minister had insisted on refund of which US$10,000 was released to him through the Chief Director of the Ministry.

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Apart from Hon. Muntaka taking GH¢2000 per diem for the match between the Blacks Stars and their Beninois counterparts at Kumasi, he requested the accounts office to purchase air return tickets for him, his wife and three children from Accra to Kumasi, and back.

In the last paragraph of the report, Mr. Odoom said, "In an attempt to help the Hon. Minister to run an efficient and effective office, the Accountant had on several occasions advised him on the right things to do. This has aroused the anger of the Hon. Minister and he has subsequently masterminded the transfer of the Accountant, Mr. A. Odoom from his office at the Ministry, an office he had occupied for only three months.'

He also alleged that currently the Minister uses five official vehicles, whilst other departments and senior officers have no vehicles, adding that this has drastically lowered the moral of the staff.

Rashid Pelpuo replaces the corrupt Muntaka

Wa Central MP Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo President John Evans Atta Mills has appointed Wa Central MP, Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, as care-taker minister for the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The appointment of Hon Rashid Pelpuo, also a Minister of State, follows the president’s directive to Sports Minister Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak to step aside as investigations into allegations of financial malfeasance at the ministry start. Joy News can confirm that Hon Rashid Pelpuo has been duly served a letter, signed by the president’s secretary Mr Berbako Mensah, confirming his appointment. The 46-year-old care-taker minister and foreign relations expert assumes full responsibility until a substantive minister is appointed. Speaking to Joy News’ Sammy Darko Mr Pelpuo said he is ready to take up the challenge. Asked what his plan of action for the ministry was, Mr Pelpuo said any comments to that effect would be premature. The avowed youth advocate has, over the years, served in various positions including the head of the National Youth Council.

Minority stage walk out over Mummuni's vetting

Accra, GNA - The Minority side of the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday walked out of its sitting in protest to the Chairman's ruling on the vetting of Alhaji Mohammad Mummuni, Minister-Nominee for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

After almost an hour of back and forth on whether the nominee should be vetted or not since there was petition by Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) against his nominations.

The petition, as cited by the Chairman of the Committee, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, alluded to a 2004 forensic audit report from the Auditor General's Office, which made allegations of fraud against the Nominee. The Nominee had the opportunity to explain that the matter was in court and that he was seeking four relieves against the Auditor-General and three other defendants.

Based on the submission of the Nominee, members took turns to cite Order 93 (1) of the Parliament Standing Orders to say that Parliament and for that matter the Committee needed to wait for the matter to be determined by the courts before proceeding with the vetting of the Nominee.

But Mr Adjaho ruled that to the extent that the forensic audit report did not emanate from a Commission or Committee of Enquiry, the Committee was not bound by its contents so the petition should be set aside for the vetting of the Nominee to continue. "Moreover since the Nominee is qualified to be a Member of Parliament he is equally qualified to be a Minister of State, according to the Constitution," he said.

The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu described the ruling of the Chairman as "bogus" in the light of one of the Committee's own yardsticks, which stated that in the case of allegations of fraud such as was contained in the audit report, the Committee should wait for the matter to be determined by the courts before proceeding with vetting.

"You handed this yardstick to us and now you are turning around to make a ruing that does not uphold your own yardstick and you expect us to stand by your ruling?

"You can't have your way through whimsical and capricious rulings." The Chairman insisted that the Minority Leader should follow due process in challenging his ruling and that his ruling on the matter was final.

The Minority Leader then stood up and led his members out of the meeting, while the Majority Members continued to vet the Nominee. AFAG recently made a public pronouncement in the contents of their petition against the nominations of four Minister-Nominees. In the case of Alhaji Mummuni, it was in respect of 2004 four forensic audit report citing him for fraud in the case of some 1.3 billion Ghana Cedis that the State lost in respect of some projects at National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) during his tenure as Minister of Employment and Social Welfare.

But when the Minority walked out the remaining Majority members continued and finished vetting Alhaji Mummuni, who answered questions with regards to regional integration, the relevance of Ghana's foreign policy to the people of Ghana and also about how to pursue economic diplomacy for the benefit of the citizenry.

Source: GNA

Spio-Garbrah To Replace Mumuni?

The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC yesterday met in their usual periodic meeting and deliberated on range of issues. Midway of the meeting, focused on the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Mohammed Mumuni Saga. The grapevine report says majority of the FEC members suggested he should resign and clear his name in the court first then, would be considered for future position.

If he fails to do so, president Mills will ask him to step aside. Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah’s name has been mention as the possible candidate to fill the vacancy.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni is said to have fumed over the decision.

Members of FEC who attended yesterday’s meeting have remained tight-lipped and would not either confirm or deny the story with Peace FM

The Looters Must Go says CDM

Pressure group based in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, the Committee for Democratic Movement (CDM), has accused President John Evans Atta Mills of condoning fraudulent financial deals by the Youth and Sports Minister, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, and some Ministers in his administration. The Movement has therefore tasked him to act as a statesman and somebody who is committed to fighting corruption by handing over all the people involved in alleged acts of impropriety to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

According to the Committee, after a thorough reading of the report by the Principal Accountant of the Ministry of Sports as well as the reply of the Hon. Minister, they uncovered that there is more to the story than what is being made known to the public.

The group has condemned President Mills' decision to allow the Minister of Sports to respond to him particularly on the alleged fraudulent deal and charged him, as a matter of urgency, to ensure that Mr. Alex Segbefia, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Kojo Bonsu, Mr. Adim Odoom and anyone whose name has been mentioned in the matter, to resign from office to enable the relevant institutions such as SFO or the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) investigate the case without any interference from the Presidency.

The Committee for Democratic Movement stated these at a press conference in Koforidua yesterday on Alhaji Muntaka's alleged fraudulent deals, fuel increment and the present economic hardship in the country, June 4th Celebration and matters arising. Speaking at the press conference, a leading member of the Committee, Mr. Ibrahim Seidu, reiterated the Movement's commitment to champion democracy and to ensure that the good people of Ghana receive the best treatment from the government.

Touching on the present economic hardship the country is facing, coupled with the increase in the prices of fuel products, Mr. Ibrahim expressed the CDM's disappointment in the government for being careless about the welfare of her people. "We are convinced that because officials of this government do not buy fuel and also get their food supplies from the depots of the castle, they have the guts to increase the price of fuel without any care for the average.

Source: The Ghanaian Observe

Massive Confusion Hits NDC Over Corruption Allegations

Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak The Muntaka Mubarak ‘Khebab saga’ which has become the major topic for discussion in the media lately is likely to cause massive hatred and disaffection among the rank and file of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). DAILY GUIDE can confirm that confusion is looming in the corridors of the ruling party which has umbrella as its symbol, and unless the leadership of the party moves in to halt the untoward trend, something nasty would crop up soon in the NDC. This unpleasant news comes as a result of wild allegations being leveled against top wigs of the party by an aggrieved group of the NDC in the Ashanti region. Christened ‘Ashanti Regional NDC Task Force’, the group alleged that Hon. Muntaka, the embattled Sports Minster and Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase, suffered his recent quandary due to a plan schemed by some elements in the NDC who wants to bring him down. “The intelligence information we have gathered indicates that there are certain elements in the party who are bent on removing Hon. Muntaka from office.” In a release co-signed by Umar Saeed Usman and Alhaji Safianu, Secretary and Chairman of the group respectively, the group allegedly mentioned Hon. E.T. Mensah, Kojo Bonsu and Ade Coker as those who are trying to pull Hon. Muntaka down. Without providing any evidential proof to support their wild allegations, they appealed to President Mills “to beware of these aforementioned elements who are parading themselves in the corridors of government as King Makers”. The Ashanti Regional NDC Task Force opined that Hon. Muntaka has suffered his fate due to the policies that he implemented at the ministry which were aimed at “making sure that things are put in their proper places and avert people from misusing the public funds”. They contended that the Asawase MP is a very hardworking gentleman with a distinguished character so he could never indulge in any untoward activity that would taint his hard-won reputation and that of his beloved NDC. Still throwing their support behind the Asawase MP, the NDC Task Force depicted Hon. Muntaka as a man of integrity, justice and transparency; describing as hoax, the financial misappropriation leveled against the young politician. The group thanked the government for giving Hon. Muntaka the chance to respond to the charges leveled against him so far, hoping that at the end of the investigations, the Asawase MP would be found clean in the case. Sounding pessimistic, they argued that if care is not taken, factionalism would soon rock the NDC, leading to the party’s inability to retain political power come 2012. From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi