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The 2013 Auditor General's Report has revealed that a former director at the local government secretariat has refused to return an official vehicle to the secretariat.

The report, therefore, recommended that the Nissan Patrol be recovered from Mr M.B. Alhassan who is currently with the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
Responding to queries at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sitting yesterday, the Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Emmanuel Agyekum said Mr Alhassan had refused to return the Nissan Patrol with registration number GE 4036 in spite of many reminders, persuasions, personal contacts and verbal information to him.

Mr Alhassan was supposed to have returned the vehicle to the secretariat when he was transferred to a different ministry in 2013.

But he requested that he be allowed to continue to use the vehicle until he secured one at his new assigned ministry.

Mr Agyekum told the committee that the last time the ministry got in touch with Mr Alhassan, he said the vehicle had developed a fault and that it was at a mechanic shop in Tamale.

The deputy minister said he had asked the chief executive officer in Tamale to go and have a look at the vehicle.

Report to police

The Chairman of the PAC, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said the failure of Mr Alhassan to return the vehicle was against the rules. He, therefore, directed the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to refer the matter to the police for a follow- up action.

Mr Agyeman-Manu said Mr Alhassan should be made to repair the vehicle "and bring it on the road.

"Let the police go for the vehicle and ensure that he repairs it. If he proves recalcitrant, we will not hesitate to bring him before the committee," he warned.

Other issues

The 2011, 2012 and 2013 Auditor-General's reports showed that the Parks and Gardens and the Births and Deaths departments had issues with revenue not accounted for ranging from GH¢280 to GH¢3,365.

There were also findings of some former employees taking salaries for work they did not do. The amounts ranged from GH¢707 to GH¢11,124.

According to the directors of the two organisations, some of the money had been recovered, while steps were being taken to recover the rest.