Ghana @ 50 Probe adjourns sitting
Accra, July 28, Ghanadot/GNA - The
Presidential Enquiry Commission probing the Ghana at 50
activities on Tuesday adjourned its sitting till next
Tuesday, August 4, to enable all regional and district
coordinating councils to adequately prepare before
testifying.
Justice Isaac Duose, Chairman of the Commission, who
announced the adjournment, said so far the regions that had
presented their reports on the Ghana at 50 celebrations were
disappointing and there was the need to give them ample time
to put their houses in order before appearing before the
commission.
He, however, commended the Eastern Regional Coordinating
Council for coming out with a comprehensive and coordinated
report on activities of the celebrations.
Justice Duose said the delays in presenting memoranda to the
Commission could put a lot of pressure on the members and
all those engaged in the enquiries.
He called on them to either submit their reports on time or
face sanctions yet to be spelt out.
Earlier, Mr Samuel Okyere Kusi-Appiah, Ashanti Regional
Coordinating Director, who was the first to appear before
the commission, said he could not give a comprehensive
report on the region’s celebrations because the then
Regional Coordinating Director whose name he gave as
Kwarteng, was on retirement, while the Storekeeper, named as
Taylor, had also died.
He said he could not trace any comprehensive report and
documents covering the Ghana @ 50 celebrations, when he was
asked whether there were no duplicates of all the
transactions made within the period.
“All that I have here is that the region was given a total
of 780 Million Ghana cedis out of which 550 million Ghana
cedis was used for the rehabilitation works at the Region’s
Jubilee Park, Centre for National Culture and the Amphi-
Theatre at the Centre for National Culture”.
He said he could not also account for the sale of Ghana @ 50
souvenirs that were allocated to the region since there were
no documents covering those souvenirs.
Justice Duose said Mr Kusi-Appiah would soon be brought
before the Commission again with the retired coordinating
director to give adequate report since the Commission was
not happy with what had been presented.
Mr Samuel Awuni Bawa, Eastern Regional Coordinating
Director, flanked by his Regional Accountant and Regional
Budgeting Officer, said they received a total of 740 million
Ghana Cedis out of which GHC 10,000.00 was allocated to all
the districts of the region.
He said the region still had a balance of 120 million Ghana
Cedis that could cater for other uncompleted projects that
were awarded for the celebrations.
Mr Bawa said he did not receive any correspondence
pertaining to the sale of souvenirs of Ghana @ 50 and
therefore did not sell any of the souvenirs, when he was
asked why they had to give some of them free to workers,
chiefs and children.
He, however, promised to find out and give a feedback to the
Commission at the appropriate time.
GNA
