Expect more procurement scandals ahead of 2020 – Franklin Cudjoe

Chief Executive Officer of IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Franklin Cudjoe has predicted that there will be more procurement scandals ahead of the 2020 election season.

He was speaking on the Big Issue about the sacking of the acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA) Emmanuel Sin-Nyet Asigri and his two deputies, Richard Ebbah Obeng and Bright Acheampong by the president.

Mr. Cudjoe stated that, “a lot of the numerous procurement scandals that are happening today have come about because people were allowed to do just anything with certain contracts, and it is now almost blowing up in our faces.”

“I will be concerned if I were the president today, that the kind of scandals that have come out right now need to be stopped immediately. As we get into the election season a lot more of such issues will be coming out and they are big ones,” he said.

“We don’t know when all this will end and we should expect a lot more of such issues,” he added.

He called for proper due diligence to be done on contracts stating that most of the scandals are a result of lack of due diligence.

The president, Nana Addo on the 3rd of September 2019, terminated the appointment of the NYA boss and his two deputies.

They were sacked following their alleged involvement in some questionable procurement practices at the Authority.

Government stands by decision

However, Fati Abubakar, a deputy director of Communications at the Office of the President has justified the government’s action saying that the decision was taken pending a final report on the matter.

She also indicated that the dismissal of the trio is to showcase the government’s strong disapproval of acts of corruption and also to ensure that other public officials do not engage in similar activities.

I have no hand in the scandal

Meanwhile, Richard Rocky Joojo Obeng, one of the acting deputy Chief Executive Officers says he had no hand in the alleged procurement violations at the Authority.

In a letter, Mr. Obeng who was grateful for the opportunity to serve the country as Deputy CEO insisted that his hands are clean.

“I wish to thank President Akufo-Addo for giving me the opportunity to serve the youth of our country. For the sake of the record, I wish to state that I have no hand in the recently reported procurement violations at NYA,” he said in the statement.

Source: Citinewsroom.com