|
Nduom’s comments on Millennium Account implementation angers
authority
Accra, March 30, Ghanadot/GNA – The
Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) on Sunday expressed
dismay about comments made by Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom concerning
the implementation of some aspects of the Ghana Millennium
Account (MCA) Programme.
A statement issued in Accra by MiDA’s Chief Executive
Officer, Martin Eson-Benjamin said by these comments, Dr.
Nduom had cast a serious slur on the integrity and
reputation of members of the MiDA Board, the Management of
MiDA and the integrity of Millennium Challenge Compact’s
very stringent procurement and approval process.
Dr. Nduom, presidential candidate of the Convention Peoples
Party (CPP) told the media that, he had heard recently that,
“MiDA was embarking on the process of rehabilitation of
schools; which action goes against the Plan in the Compact
to build new schools. He went on to say that he was not the
type who will agree to the so called misapplication of MCA
Funds for the ‘wrong things’, like school rehabilitation.
“What is untrue and unfortunate about his accusation from Dr
Nduom is that the decision to undertake the ‘fast-track’
school rehabilitation project, which he refers to as ‘the
wrong things’, was taken during his tenure as chairman of
the board and approved by MCC and the board of MiDA.
This decision enabled MiDA’s Procurement Agent to include
this activity under the General Procurement Notice No. 3,
published on the MiDA website on May 8th, 2007 and also
enable management to plan for its implementation.
“It is important to stress that this project sub-activity,
the rehabilitation of schools, has been brought up and
discussed at every meeting of the procurement committee of
the board, which then also had Hon. Paa Kwesi Nduom as the
chairman. The last of these discussions was on the 11th of
July, 2007, with three other ministers in attendance.
“The board and management of MiDA and MCC, indeed stand by
the laudable decision to ‘fast track’ rehabilitation work on
the 35 selected schools ahead of the strategic environmental
assessments, which must precede any plan to construct a
‘greenfield’ school in the farming communities.
“Again, to ensure that farming communities in the northern
agricultural zone of the Ghana MCA programme, whose schools
were washed away by the recent floods, were not handicapped
as participants in the new educational reform programme, MCC
has given approval to MiDA to rehabilitate 30 of these
schools. Funds for rehabilitation are therefore not being
misapplied.
“The import of these explanations is that, at all times, MCC
approved MiDA’s plans, which they considered to be
supportive of the Compact’s goal of poverty reduction. What
Dr Nduom ought to have added is that, the well-thought
through rehabilitation of these 65 schools, will form part
of the over 520 new schools to be built in the 31 districts.
The ‘fast-track’ schools to be rehabilitated under phase
one, will also benefit from additional infrastructure in the
second phase of the schools project, making them responsive
to our plans.”
The statement said, “MiDA will like to assure all Ghanaians,
that the chances of funds going back to MCC on account of
alleged mis-procurements are very low indeed. MCC’s funds
disbursement process seeks to provide funds for only
projects that have been approved by the MiDA board and MCC.
MiDA cannot apply funds fraudulently or frivolously, not
with the well spelt out procurement guidelines ad the over
six audits of the programme activities in each year of the
Compact, besides a strict regimen of monitoring and
evaluation activities.
“Dr Nduom’s insinuation that ‘some persons’ want to claim
credit for some activities and are therefore pushing to have
specific activities done quickly, is also surprising.
“As a five-year project, it is considered necessary for
senior and responsible persons in government to feel
uncomfortable about the apparently slow pace of work on some
of the project activities, in particular, MiDA’s inability
to get the N.I Highway Project underway, some two and half
years after the Compact was signed. This eagerness to
deliver the programme must not be misconstrued for any other
motive.
“The board and staff have serious work to do as implementers
of the Compact. That is the hardest part of the challenge,
for which we need undivided attention. MCC is appreciative
of good work the MiDA team is doing to meet the programme
goals and MiDA has the MCC’s fullest support in our forward
push.
“So far, nobody has played politics with Ghana’s MCA
programme and therefore, Dr Nduom must not drag MiDA into
it. He played a useful and key role in putting the proposal
together under his watch, but there were several others who
equally assisted the process and it is important that Dr
Nduom does not continue to claim credit for the success of a
process he inherited from Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo, who, under
President Kufuor’s leadership, initiated the process towards
Ghana’s Compact.
GNA
|
