British Duped Ghana Millions Of Dollars In Bauxite Sale To Chinese

*Wanton Negligence and Grand Conflict Of Interest At Play In Officialdom *

Months of investigation has revealed traces of negligence and conflict of interest on the part of officialdom resulting in Ghana losing millions of US dollars over the sale of the Ghana Bauxite Company Limited (GBCL) to Bosai Minerals Group; a Chinese company.

The Chinese are already in the Western Region with their ships carting away huge tons of the nation’s bauxite, despite conflicting figures on the value of the transaction.

Preliminary findings by The Herald put the country’s loss close to $20 million from the sale of 80 per cent shares of TBAC ; majority shareholders -previously British Aluminum Company - to the Chinese group.

While the British group, based in Ireland, told Ghanaian officials that their 704,204 shares of Ghana Bauxite were being sold to the Chinese for US$10, 620 million, the Chinese on the other and were busily announcing that they were rather paying US$30 million for the minerals.

But in spite of these clear conflicting figures, both the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission have allowed the Chinese into the country and they are briskly siphoning Ghana’s bauxite to China with ships in apparent violation of constitutional provisions which is strict on a parliamentary approval of such transaction (Articles 268 and 269).

This reporter also discovered that the Natural Resources Ministry failed to exercise its oversight responsibility over the 20 percent shares in Ghana Bauxite hence left the British in cohort with their Ghanaian counterparts such as Fred Ohene-Kena, E. Appiah Korang,E. A. Sackey and B. Ackaah Gyasi who determine the share purchase price.

Players in the Aluminum industry told this reporter that with value of aluminum rising daily, Ghana could have reaped a fortune from the sale had the ministry been part of the evaluation of shares, especially taking into account the fact that the British has since 1997, not paid government any dividend.

Interesting discoveries made by The Herald revealed that Guinea Conakry, the world's number one source of bauxite got about US$1 billion on its extraction, while Guyana and Australia, where TBAC operates under the name Rio Tinto have all made fortunes out of the extraction of the aluminum ore, and Ghana remains the only country which is losing out.

*Fred Ohene-Kena’s Conflict of Interest *

In the center of the deal is no less a person that the chairman of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Fred Ohene-Kena, who incidentally doubles as a director of Ghana Bauxite; a clear case of conflict of interest.

A letter dated September 25, 2009 and sent to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, and copied to the Minerals Commission boss, Mr. Ben Aryee, bears Mr. Ohene-Kena’s name as one of the directors of the British company.

He is mentioned within government circles to have lobbied for a quick approval for the Chinese to take over the concession, despite the conflicting figures.

Mr. Ohene-Kena, sometime last year, admitted in an interview with this reporter who was then working with The Enquirer that he pushed for the transaction to go through, even though, personally, he had no knowledge at all of the price the mine was being sold to the Chinese.

The former minister at the time insisted he was pushing for the sale of the mine to the Chinese in “the national interest” since there is an imminent closure of the mine if the shares are not offloaded to the Chinese on time.

He disclosed that, as the chairman of the Minerals Commission, he informed the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources about the interest of Bosai Minerals, and got Alhaji Collins Dauda to obtain cabinet’s approval for it to be sent to parliament, but a difficulty pertaining to the under-invoicing came up against the company so the deal has hit a snag.

According to him, Ghana Bauxite has had some turbulent years, as the result of poor rail infrastructure, hence it was unable to haul huge quantities of the bauxite it had wanted to. This, according to him, explains why the company has not been able to pay government its dividend for some years now. He said the Chinese have indicated their preparedness to improve upon the rail infrastructure in the mine area, and to him “this is good for the economy.”

*Fraudulent Acts Of TBAC *

According to information gathered by this paper, the Ghana Bauxite published in their audited account that they had incurred a loss of US$7.335 million during the year ended 31st December 2008, and, as of date, its liabilities exceeded its assets by US$16,913. Consequently, they had to obtain a loan of US$10.5 million funding from their parent company to support the operations of the company for the year ended 2009.

Meanwhile at the time when the TBAC took over the management of the company, the assets of the company exceeded the liability by US$4,120,000. However, by December 31, 2008, its liabilities exceeded its assets by US$16,913 million as a result of mismanagement.

As proof of the unprofitable operations of the company, TBAC sought for a US$10 million to support the operations of GBC from their parent company.

To conceal the fraudulent activities, the company failed to comply with the provisions of Section 122(7) of the Companies Code by consistently not filing the Annual Returns and had therefore been suppressing revenue from the export of bauxite.

Further investigations reveal that TBAC sells and fixes prices of products for export to themselves through the use of Alcan Trading Limited, one of the outlets of Rio Tinto group of companies of which TBAC is a member. This way, TBAC through Alcan Trading Limited, re-invoices sales parcels to third parties in contravention of Ghana’s Exchange Control Laws.

Notably, whereas by Article 10 of a Bauxite Sale Contract between the Government of Ghana and TBAC provided that the price at which bauxite is to be sold shall be calculated on a quarterly basis and to be determined by reference to the London Metal Exchange (LME), Rio Tinto Alcan, the parent company of TBAC has executed an agreement with Bosai to produce and sell to them 600,000 tons of bauxite per annum at a fixed price of US$30.00 per metric ton for the next three years, with export contracts on behalf of GBC signed on its behalf by officers of Alcan Chemicals Europe based in Ireland.

More interestingly, Alcan Chemicals, the principal buyers of GBC’s ore, apart from buying for its own use, buys the ore and re-invoices the third parties using the true market price.

Source: By Larry-Alans Dogbey

Tony Aidoo pushes for prosecution of alleged NDC fraudster

Dr. Tony Aidoo     Dr. Tony Aidoo, Head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Castle is impressing upon the police to prosecute a man who allegedly used letter-heads from the Office of the President to extort monies from some state institutions. He argued that, despite suspicions that the alleged fraudster is a sympathiser of the ruling party, anyone caught in an attempt to defraud must face the law. The suspect whose name was given as Moses Maxwell is said to have allegedly used funds he raised, posing as the President’s Secretary, to finance the studies of some NDC foot soldiers in the United Kingdom. The suspect was arrested last Friday in a sting operation when he attempted to extort $5,000 from the Volta River Authority and mentioned some top officials apart from the President’s Secretary as people who are aware of his dealings. But Dr. Tony Aidoo told Joy News he has asked the police to go ahead and prosecute the suspect. “An official of the VRA informed me that they received a communication from somebody purporting that he is Mr Bebaako Mensah and that he wanted some money. They laid a trap and, more or less, caught the person. That is the end of the story. Those who break the law must face the law, it doesn’t matter where they are coming from.” Dr Tony Aidoo denied knowing the suspect and said his actions have put the image of the presidency into disrepute. He debunked claims that efforts are being made by some powers that be to ensure the suspect's release. “Why should they [at Castle] intervene, it is their integrity that is at stake and if you are an official at the Castle and your name is being misused for fraudulent purposes, I think it should be in your interest to see that such things do not occur and the best way is for the failed fraudster to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others,” Dr Aidoo told Joy News’ Elvis Adjetey. Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Region Police, Chief Inspector, Kwaku Dompreh, said the case is being investigated by he Ministries Police Station. He said the suspect is in custody and when enough evidence have been adduced against him, he would be charged for fraud. Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

NDC power struggle: President Mills should have acted better

There are reports that some leading members within the ruling National Democratic Congress are gearing to unseat President Mills as the flag bearer of the party come the NDC primaries. The circulation of such information confirms what some analysts have said regarding President Mills' style of governance. The president is recently quoted in some section of the media as saying the nation's energy providers cannot guarantee uninterrupted energy supply to the public during the upcoming Fifa World Cup tournament despite increase in energy tariff. Such a frantic statement coming from the president solidifies his personality as an honest man, but it also confirms him as someone who is incapable of helping the nation out of its troubles.

It is a fact that the president took over power at a time when Ghana's economy was suffering from the effect of the world economy crunch and that we did not expect the president to magically transform the nation over night. However, those of us who have watched the president closely have lamented over the vagueness in his administration, the lack of progress on every front of the economy and a complete lack of clear cut strategy to move the nation forward. From a distance the President seems to have a vision which is to make Ghana better for all her citizens, but he seems not to have a strategy to achieve his vision. By strategy I mean formulating and implementing the President's vision of a better Ghana through the establishment of policy priorities that will transform his ideas into deeds. The lack of strategy and his failure to make good his campaign promises have given argumentative ammunition to his critics within his own party and in the opposition.

What the president has failed to appreciate so far is the fact that election success does not mean political and economic achievement. At best the former could be used to achieve the latter, which means the president should have acted better and immediately commission his team to deliver on his better Ghana agenda the very day he entered office. But that did not happen because there was lack of strategy and policy direction from the president. Besides, a better part of 2009 was used to deal with ex-ministers of the Kuffour administration and the brouhaha surrounding those events diverted government's attention from some of the pressing issues that confronted the government and the nation. The end result is that we have been left with a nation where unemployment is still high and public services are barely functioning, making the hope of a better Ghana under President Mills increasingly elusive.

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To add insult to injury the Ministers who occupy the various ministries and departments seem not to know what to do with the power they have and their inaction has earned them the title 'Team B'. The ministerial reshuffle which took place a couple of months ago seem not have changed anything on the ground. 

What is more worrying is that the president's greatest enemy which is time is fast approaching. The president has just about two years to accomplish many of the promises he made to the electorates but given the limited time and the number of problems facing the nation there is no sign that he will be able to meet all of them. This I believe is the root cause of the power struggle in the party. The wrangling is between those in government who think they must be given the chance to continue what they are doing and those who think the government has not performed and that the NDC could lose the 2012 elections should the government current deplorable performance continue. The danger is that if the power struggle is not tamed it will consume the remaining time the administration has got to deal with the nation's problems. 

However, I believe all is not lost. The president, his strategists and advisors could use the remaining two years to do something practical by moving fast to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy with inbuilt policy priorities that will address some of the immediate challenges facing the nation. Such a strategy must have as its component the integration of all the necessary state institutions and the involvement of all stakeholders. 

As matter of urgency I will suggest that the persistent energy crisis (electricity and fuel) in the country must be given priority along side the internal security situation and the economy. If President Mills is serious about creating jobs then he must put to rest once and for all the serial power cuts that continue to force many companies to operate at half capacity due to unreliable electricity supply. The Energy Minister must work with Volta River Authority, ECG and other stakeholders to restore confidence in the energy market by addressing the issue of inefficiency, poor management and under capitalisation that continue to affect the operation of the energy suppliers.

The Ministry of Interior must be charged to work with the relevant state agencies to bring an end to the hostilities in the northern part of the country and to work with the Chieftaincy Department to address the many chieftaincy disputes since they have the potential to tarnish the reputation of the country and sink confidence that investors may have in the economy. 

The President must tell the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in plain language that lowering inflation alone will not meet the aspirations of unemployed Ghanaians who are looking for jobs. The president must task the National Development Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to live up to their names and build some credibility for themselves for Ghana cannot remain agrarian and poor country while these institutions tasked with planning the nation's development continue to exist only in name. These institutions must device some ingenious schemes that will revive the economy, create jobs and put money in the pockets of the people. 

In the short run President Mills must focus on building, renovating and expanding the infrastructures in the country since infrastructure building has the potential of creating jobs. 

Evidence from Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China has shown that economic growth is dependent on level of technological development. Ghana cannot remain agrarian if we are to solve the teeming unemployment problem, eradicate poverty, hunger and improve the overall quality of life in the country. Therefore, in the long run, I will suggest that the president work assiduously to diversify Ghana's economy from its current reliance on raw material export to manufacturing, service, and knowledge based economy. Therefore, a ground work for export-driven industrial economy must be laid, through the adoption of a comprehensive export-driven industrial strategy. Such a strategy must make the development and acquisition of advanced technologies a priority so as to take advantage of the huge unexploited natural resources in the country.

By Lord Aikins Adusei
politicalthinker1@yahoo.com

Did Mills lie to Ghanaians on his South African trip?

President Mills and the Black Stars in a pep talk   The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is questioning the 'real' reason underpinning President J.E.A. Mills' present trip to South Africa. The president left Ghana Thursday night for South Africa for what official communication says is a bilateral discussion. The NPP says while a government statement on the trip says that President J.E.A. Mills will be meeting that country’s president, information available to it indicates that the very day President Mills is scheduled to meet with Mr Jacob Zuma, Mr Zuma is travelling with senior members of his government to Canada. The NPP’s Communications Director, Kwaku Kwarteng, said if the president is going to that country – his second in two weeks - for medical treatment, the government should be bold enough to say it. But the government believes the arguments are fatuous and the concerns misplaced. According to Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the government statement on which the NPP is grounding its argument did not specifically say that the president was going to meet Mr Jacob Zuma. For him, the South African government is not limited to the person of Mr Zuma and that President Mills will be meeting with the Vice-President of South Africa. While in South Africa, President Mills is also expected to watch the Black Stars do battle with the United Stars in the 1/16 stage of the 2010 World Cup. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

NDC fights over ¢2bn donor’s cash…Konadu’s name pops up

Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development         The claim by the Wayome brothers (Alfred and Kobby Wayome) and Herbert Mensah, a football administrator, that they financed the last batch of supporters who were airlifted to South Africa to cheer the Black Stars to the tune of $1.5 million, has incurred the wrath of the national leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who are challenging their claim. A source close to the party told the Chronicle that the trip, which cost GH¢500,000 and not $1.5 million (about ¢2.1 billion), was solely financed from the party coffers and was, therefore, surprised by the claim made by the three that they financed the trip. The source further told The Chronicle that the Wayomes and Hebert Mensah were only trying to capitalize on the trip to do Public Relations work for Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, who is eying the NDC flag bearer position for the 2012 elections. According to the party source, the three gentlemen just wanted to create the impression that Nana Konadu cared more for the supporters than anyone else. When The Chronicle contacted Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, popularly known as ‘General Mosquito’, he said it was the party that sponsored the trip. He, however, refused to go into details because “I’m yet to inform my executive on the total amount used, and for that matter I would not comment further until I meet with them to brief them on the matter.” The Wayome brothers told journalists that they were in a meeting, when they were contacted at their South Africa base, to get their side of the story. Though they promised to get back to the chronicle in two hours' time to explain their side of the story, they failed to do so at the time of going to press. However, several attempts to get back to them proved futile, as they failed to pick their calls. The conflicting report as to who sponsored the trip and the amount involved prompted the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF), a pressure group, to call on the President to set up a committee to investigate the source of the funds used to finance the trip. Both Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and Mr. Yaw Gyan, National Organiser of the NDC, told The Chronicle sometime ago that some philanthropists sponsored the stranded NDC Black Stars supporters. But this was sharply challenged when other party bigwigs alleged that some banks, including the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and National Investment Bank (NIB) were behind the sponsorship. Meanwhile, reports reaching the Chronicle indicate that over 150 Ghanaian football fans, sponsored by the government to South Africa to support the Black Stars at the ongoing world cup finals have been left stranded, with their chances of returning to Ghana unknown. The supporters, mainly National Democratic Congress supporters and foot soldiers are said to be living at the benevolence of a South African Hotel manager, who is still housing them, even though the contract between them and the Ghanaian officials has expired. The reports further indicate that, the stranded fans have resorted to selling some of their personal belongings in order to feed themselves, as general conditions at the camp keep deteriorating by the day. About 430 fans returned on Thursday night while the final batch was expected to arrive in Ghana by Saturday June 26, 2010, as government budgeted for only 15 days stay for the fans to South Africa and said it would not take responsibility for any fan(s) who stayed in that country beyond the 15 days period. Source: The Chronicle/Ghana

Bench warrant for BoG ex-governor

An Accra Commercial Court has ordered the immediate arrest of S.K. Appea, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and S. N. Adjei, a former lawyer for the bank, over the alleged disappearance of a $2.5billion loan package introduced to the Ghana Government by H. E. Van Kirksey and Associates International of Washington, an African-American company, somewhere in 1986. The court presided over by Justice Margaret Insaidoo Wednesday ordered that the two men should be arrested and made to appear in court on Friday May 14,2010. Justice Insaidoo subpoenaed four persons including S. K. Appea, to help the court trace the whereabouts of the said loan which has generated some controversy, in which certain people have blamed certain former state officials in the Rawlings regime in the 1980s. Mr. Appea, then the acting BoG Governor who allegedly signed and sealed the mandate for the loan to be brought into the country, was to appear with Mr. Adjei, then counsel for the bank, Dr. K.G. Erbyn, then Chief Executive of Ghana Investment Centre and Aduamoa Bossman, former attorney for Van Kirksey and Associates, to say what they know about the agreement. However, for over a year since that subpoena was issued, only Mr. Adumoa Bosssman, among the four, has appeared to testify. Counsel for Egbert Addjeso, on whose request the subpoena was issued, assured the court that S.N. Adjei would be their next witness on May 12, 2010; however the witness failed to appear, for which reason the warrant was issued yesterday. P.V. Obeng, then a member of the negotiating team, according to the plaintiff, had allegedly agreed to release a 3% commission of the loan package to the American company to close the deal, after all negotiations had been completed and the loan had been accessed. The court earlier heard the testimony of one Brando Alfred Darko, an associate to the American company. Mr. Darko, who was subpoenaed by counsel for Egbert Adjeso, a defendant in the case, disclosed that S.K. Appea, former Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana, had informed Clifford Townsend, Vice Chairman of the American company that BoG signed two documents concerning the loan but those documents were later picked up by Mr. P.V. Obeng, a presidential advisor at the Castle. Source: Daily Guide/Ghana

Multi-Nationals must join in Corruption Fight - A-G

Attorney General Betty Mould Iddrisu         Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould Iddrisu says corruption is one of the key challenges facing investment in Ghana. She has therefore called on multi-nationals to help stem the tide of that canker. She said officials of multi-national corporations continue to indulge in corrupt and underhand dealings with government officials in a bid to achieve short-term benefits and cautioned that such actions will never go unpunished. “Investors need to realize that the reality of political succession implies that even where they are shielded by governments with whom they contrive to breach the law, succeeding governments would seek to enforce the law. Far therefore from being an anti-investment destination, these governments would simply be seeking to uphold the rule of law. The investors concerned would have deprived themselves of any legal protection by their own considerations of short-term benefit,” Mrs Iddrisu said. Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu was speaking during a panel discussion at the New York University on the topic,“Strengthening the Rule of Law in Africa: Promoting Investment in Africa – Ghana’s Example”, organised under the auspices of the Africa House of the New York University in collaboration with the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on African Affairs and Leitner Centre for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School. The Attorney General said the administration of President John Evans Atta Mills, has a solid commitment towards improving existing infrastructure, building the capacities of its people, ensure that laws are enforced and barriers to investment removed. She said: “We open our doors to investors who seek to maximize legitimate profit while helping government and local people better their lot through resource exploitation, distribution and the payment of taxes and agreed royalties.” Touching on Ghana’s legal climate, the Attorney General stated that the judiciary had undergone a lot of reforms to make it investor friendly. She said commercial courts had been established and efforts “are being made at expediting justice particularly in commercial and investment related cases”. Mrs Iddrisu stated that: “The establishment of the commercial courts, land courts, as well the numerous reforms in court processes as earlier alluded to all demonstrate a commitment to solidify not only the foundations of economic governance but also foreign investment interests in Ghana. Like all countries in the developing world, we still have some key challenges to overcome but the gains thus far are noteworthy.” Competition for global investment, the Attorney General noted, has intensified and Africa needs to position itself as a leading destination by building up on governance reforms, law reforms and guaranteeing a respect for human rights and political accountability. She said “The inception of the constitutional regime in 1992 [in Ghana] further deepened the move towards greater openness and respect of individual and multinationals’ investment within the framework of law and good governance. While the constitutional regime amply provides sufficient safeguards against the illegal expropriation of investor assets, it is significant to mention the fact that government is determined to balance the interests of investors with government’s obligation to manage the resources of the state in the best interests of the people of Ghana.” Answering questions from a cross section of students, members of the American legal fraternity and the media, Mrs. Iddrisu reiterated the Government of Ghana’s commitment to the rule of law and international investment laws and noted that the protection of foreign investment is an international obligation that Ghana will always uphold. “Over the past two decades, we have reinforced our governance system and consolidated constitutional democracy with greater emphasis on human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the protection of property rights. These rights and spaces for individual autonomy remain crucial for the realization of economic potential - key ingredients for investor success. Indeed, foreign investment needs a pool of qualified and motivated human resources. It is the objective of the President Mills Administration to unleash these potentials by reinforcing human rights and individual freedoms” the Attorney General said. Systems of resource management and accountability have also been intensified, Mrs. Iddrisu said. Over the past couple of years the Whistleblower Act, Financial Administration Act and the Procurement Act have all been passed by Ghana’s Parliament. She said the Right to Information and the Petroleum Acts are also being considered by Parliament all in a bid to increase the responsibility of government in respect to the management of resources and accountability for proceeds obtained from investment. Read the full text of the A-G’s presentation.

Akufo-Addo is not corrupt – P.C. Appiah-Ofori

P.C. Appiah-Ofori         Anti-corruption crusader and MP for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, P. C. Appiah-Ofori, has declared that “Nana Akufo-Addo is not a corrupt politician and will therefore make a good president. I have seen the Auditor General’s report from both the Justice and Foreign Ministries, where Nana Akufo-Addo served as minister under the erstwhile Kufuor administration and not a single case of theft or corruption was leveled against him. He conducted himself well in both ministries and I know he has always been like that throughout his public life.” He was addressing delegates of the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa constituency at Asikuma, when Nana Addo met with delegates to sell to them his message of hope. The outspoken legislator said his decision to support Akufo-Addo is premised on three important factors, with his non-corruptible nature being one of them. “I am confident that if Nana Addo becomes president of our country, he will protect state funds and ensure that they go into the appropriate channels to help develop our nation”, he stressed. He added that Nana Akufo-Addo is the most marketed candidate amongst all, and the amount of work and resource that will go into selling him as presidential candidate will be very much minimal compared to all other ones. “He is the candidate who can win us power in 2012 and to the best of my knowledge that is the single most important desire of our party people today.” He said also that “Nana Addo is a man who listens to good council and “I can tell you about an instance when I went to him on a matter that concerns the welfare of our nation. He listened to me and it paid off”, he noted. On his part, Nana Akufo-Addo told delegates of the constituency to vote him as flag bearer of the party for the 2012 elections and he is confident that victory will come the party’s way. “We got very close in 2008 and with hard work and dedication; we will make it in 2012.” Nana Akufo-Addo called for unity within the ranks of the party as this was important even in the face of competition. He called for a healthy competition and added that in the end, losers and winners must join forces together to ensure that the party wins power in 2012. This he said is the tradition of the NPP and this is not the time to depart from it. Nana Akufo-Addo then took a swipe at the President Mills led NDC administration by saying Ghanaians have become poorer under Mills in just 15 months of leading this country. Ghana, he said, is now “moving backwards slowly but surely.” He asked whether this is the better Ghana we were promised, and when chants of a loud no, came from the crowd, in response to his question, Nana Addo thus told them that “the Ghanaian people are looking up to us in the NPP, to provide a strong, positive alternative to the failing government of the NDC and we cannot fail them.” He moved his campaign tour to the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency and then finally to the Mfantseman West constituency, to round up his tour of the Central region. He is expected to hit the Western region on Sunday, 2nd May, starting with the Mpohor Wassa, Shama and Sekondi constituencies. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

DCE Blows ¢450m

The woes of the embattled Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Wenchi, Osei Yaw Adjei, seem to be deepening by the day, as his own National Democratic Congress (NDC) party members continue to agitate for his removal from office. When news broke that the MCE had allegedly forced the assembly to cough out ¢445million to renovate a three-bedroom bungalow for his comfort, several members of the NDC in the municipality were up in arms. A planned demonstration against the MCE was called off at the last minute following the intervention of some elders of the party. The MCE, Yaw Adjei, yesterday strongly defended his position on a number of radio stations, saying that the bungalow was in a state of disrepair. He said the money would be used for tiling of the floor, air-conditioners and fixing of the kitchen, even though fixing of the kitchen and tiling were carried out a few years ago. The MCE, who did not show any sign of remorse over what residents had described as his ostentatious lifestyle, justified it to the hilt. Mr Adjei told Adom FM yesterday that if the house was not in good shape, the President might even sack him if he visited the residency, suggesting that he had the endorsement of President Mills. The renovation did not include the replacement of furniture, he said, stressing that was a different cost entirely. It was revealed that the MCE unilaterally ordered the Municipal Finance Officer to use ¢10million to repair his official car which was involved in an accident. He was also accused of ‘jamming’ the private car of the Deputy Municipal Co-ordinating Director and using ¢100million from the assembly’s Transport Account to pay for the damages. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, one of the youth leaders of the NDC said they had decided to listen to the elders because they (the elders) promised to relay their grievances to the relevant authorities. He said if they waited for two weeks and nothing was heard from the leadership of the party, they would surely hit the streets and force the MCE out of town. According to Kwame Nsiah, the youth leader, they would not sit down for anyone to turn the apple cart upside down. He noted that Wenchi was a strong base for the opposition New Patriotic Party ((NPP) but through hard work, they were able to narrow the gap during the 2008 general elections. In his view, the behaviour of the MCE could worsen the situation of the party and that instead of allowing one person to spoil their chances, they would do everything possible to get him out of their way. Madam Akua Nsowaa, a 65-year-old farmer who said she had been a member of the NDC since its inception, told DAILY GUIDE that they would not sit unconcerned for any young man to spoil their party. She said even though she had never gained anything from the NDC, she was a proud member and would forever remain a proud member of the party. According to Madam Nsowaa, the complaint of ostentatious and profligate lifestyle against the NPP by Professor Mills was rearing its ugly head in the NDC and it must be nipped in the bud. A government appointee at the Wenchi Municipal Assembly, Madam Mariam Akantigsi, told DAILY GUIDE that the assembly approved ¢220 million for the renovation but the MCE doubled the cost, spending extra ¢220 million without approval. She said when the matter came before the august house, there was an uproar and the MCE had to apologize for bypassing the assembly. On Thursday April 29, 2010, the Omanhene of Wenchi Traditional Area, Nana Abrefa Kwadwo Nketia VII, invited all the assembly members to his palace and reprimanded them for allowing themselves to be used in such a bizarre manner. He warned them to be careful when dealing with the finances of the assembly because more had to be done to uplift the image of the municipality. Meanwhile, the issue of the renovation of the MCE’s bungalow with ¢445million was the talk of town when DAILY GUIDE visited Wenchi during the weekend. A random interview conducted by DAILY GUIDE indicated that the majority of inhabitants of Wenchi were not happy with the story and were calling for the immediate dismissal of the embattled MCE. Source: Daily Guide