Assembly Members of the Ada East District Assembly have expressed discomfort, displeasure and disappointment over what they described as "unqualified" manner in which their District Assembly is being administered.
The Assembly Members, obviously angered, at a Press conference indicated that "the self seeking" District Chief Executive (DCE), John Nurudeeen Ahortu who s working with a "crafty" Member of Parliament for the area, Comfort Doeyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah have both teamed up to destroy the Assembly.
According to Theophilus T. Ocansey, Presiding member, who read the statement on behalf of the angry assembly members, the DCE is highly incompetent to handle the affairs of the assembly since he lacks, "critical thinking, self reliance, public relations among other qualities.
"He does not know how to handle political issues different from local governance issues, thereby creating factions in the district," he stated.
They also accused the DCE of disrespecting Chiefs and people of the District. According to him, the DCE's gross disrespect for the chiefs and people of Ada has been extended to the Assembly members as well.
He indicated that the DCE is constantly relegating the views expressed by members of the assembly after seeking the misleading views of the MP.
Making some references to a Committee of Fact Finding that was presented to the House, Theophilus T. Ocansey averred that the DCE has flouted the Procurement Act, the Financial Management Act as he, being a member and Chairman of the District Tender Committee, condoned and connived with the MP to award AEDA contracts to their biological siblings and relatives at exorbitant contract sums.
"Now we want to know why out of the 17 said contracts, many did not pass through tender process but rather, people's contracts documents were used to secure contracts for the siblings and relatives of the DCE and the MP?"
They described the DCE and MP's action as clear case of nepotism, corruption and violation of Public Procurement Act 284 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
Theophilus T. Ocansey also averred that apart from the fraudulent manner in which the DCE and the MP awarded contracts and their calculated attempt to loot the Assembly's coffers, they have also allegedly sold out the 336 asbestos sheets removed from the school building which were supposed to be kept in the Assembly's store room.
The Assembly members however believed that the said 336 asbestos sheets have been smuggled into the residence of the MP, Comfort Cudjoe-Ghansah without the consent and approval of the Assembly.
The members have also touched on the mishandling of the School Feeding Program, where they said, the School Feeding and the allocation of schools to persons under the program are handled at the MP's residence as she decides who should be given the contract and who not to be given.
They also accused the DCE for abusing Assembly resources. According to them, the DCE, John Nurudeen Ahortu uses his official vehicle as a school bus for his children and has failed to account for the three Assembly pickups whose whereabouts still remain unclear.
The DCE, according to the Assembly members, has illegally assess PWD Funds, smuggled projects and contracts of National and Regional Awarding Nature into the District Budget.
They hinted that, the construction of a lorry park at Kasseh-Ada which was budgeted in 2012 at GH¢40,000 by the Assembly, was hijacked by the MP without going through tender.
She awarded the construction work by herself to Herself at whooping GH¢331,000.00 over and above the threshold of the assembly under the false pretence of direct labour.
"This rendered financial lost to the assembly, since the assembly was called to defray the debt incurred from the DACF," he said.
"Again, recently, the MP and DCE smuggled into the MTCB, 2015 GH¢600,000.00 construction of another lorry park at Ada-Foah. But this time by vigilance of some assembly officials and Hon Assembly members, this bright-day light fraud was by the MP and DCE was rejected by the Assembly members."
With all these incidents, the assembly members are calling on the President to sack the DCE within 14 working days.
They are also appealing to the President to relief the MP who is also holding a position as Minister of Social and Allied Institution from that position since she is just occupying space.
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