NDC CHAIR IN KICK-BACK SCANDAL

From Samuel Agbewode, Ho

At a time the government is struggling to reduce the number of basic schools under trees, some few individuals are also feeding fat on the little resources allocated for such projects.

The Ho-West Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Charles Senyo Nyame-Coker, is at the centre of a controversy surrounding the construction of a six-unit classroom block under the ‘School Under Trees Project’.

Mr. Nyame-Coker allegedly pocketed over 20 percent of the total contract sum as his cut, after using his political influence to bid and win the contract, although he did not have the technical competence to undertake the project.

After winning the contract, Mr. Nyame passed it on to Madam Ama Aloryitor, a contractor from whom he had earlier taken an amount of GH¢1,000 to enable him buy tender documents for the project, and demanded a ten percent kick-back.

But, greed took the better part of the NDC chairman after setting his eyes on the GH¢750,000 project sum, decided of his own volition to slash a whopping GH¢196,000 as his cut, without recourse to what his action was likely to have on the execution of the project.

The contractor, who felt duped and scandalised by the action of the NDC Chairman, is heading to the law court to seek redress.

Narrating the story to The Chronicle in Ho, the Volta Regional capital, Madam Alorvitoh said she was approached by the Ho-West NDC Constituency Secretary, Mr. Mawuli Danyo, on his Chairman’s intention to bid for the project, but noted that he (chairman) did not have the financial wherewithal to even purchase tender documents.

According to Madam Aloryitoh, she readily provided an amount of GH¢1,000 to help the NDC Chairman buy the tender documents.

Madam Aloryitoh said, at a later date, Mr. Danyo contacted her with an offer of a contract at Avenue-Camp, which she readily accepted, but on a condition.

Mr. Nyame-Coker, who now holds the contract, was demanding 10 percent of the total contract sum, after which he promised to refund the GH¢1,000 he owed Madam Aloyitoh.

But, to the utmost surprise of Madam Alorvitoh, Mr. Nyame-Coker later informed her that he had divided the contract into two, and that she would be given half of it, being a three-unit classroom block and a toilet to construct.

She continued that news later got to her through the Constituency Secretary that the Chairman had gone to the offices of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund), and collected a cheque for GH¢750,000 written in the name of his company, Akorfaha Enterprise, a company he had newly registered, purposely for the execution of the three-unit classroom block project.

Madam Aloryitoh said when she eventually confronted the Chairman on the development, he had already cashed the GH¢750,000 being the total contract sum, and subtracted a whopping GH¢196,000 as his own calculation of 10 percent of the contract sum due him, as earlier agreed.

When questioned on why he decided to take GH¢196,000 as 10 percent instead of GH¢7,500   Mr. Nyame-Coker told her that it was a normal practice, and that when party executives sub-let contracts, the contractor pays the amount he had subtracted as kick-back.

She quoted the NDC Chairman as saying that even though the amount might look quite huge, it was the practice of the party to take such percentages and deposit them into the party’s coffers at the constituency level to support activities of the party.

Not convinced with this explanation, Madam Aloryito said she reported the matter to the Ho Central Police, but the police CID who was handling the case, rather advised them to settle the matter amicably, after listening to both parties.

Madam Aloryitoh said even though she had completed over 90 percent of the contract, she had to source for funds elsewhere, and still needs some amount of money to complete the project.

She is insisting that the NDC Chairman pays back the huge sum of money deducted from the contract sum, or she would pursue the matter in court.

Interestingly, when The Chronicle contacted the NDC Chairman, Mr. Charles Nyame-Coker, he confirmed the story, and said the huge deductions he made was an agreement he signed with the contractor, Madam Aloryitoh, before she took over the project.

He further told The Chronicle that the contractor did not seem to understand fully the conditions attached to the contract before taking it up. Mr. Nyame-Coker, however, denied that he said anywhere that the deducted amount would be given to the party.

He said the contractor signed a document, which showed that she agreed to the deduction, adding that he first gave the contract to his party secretary, before the secretary also sublet the project to the woman.

However, the NDC Constituency Secretary, Mr. Mawuli Danyo, denied that the Chairman gave him any contract, much more he subletting it to Madam Aloryitoh.

He described Mr. Nyame-Coker’s attitude as very shameful, and pledged to defend the woman, because since he (Secretary) recommended the contractor to the Chairman, he should have witnessed every aspect of the contract.