The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has assured that all procurement processes for its new headquarters were conducted in compliance with regulations and received approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
Stephen Yankyera Amoh, a technical member of the team that accompanied BoG Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama to Parliament, made this clarification while addressing lawmakers regarding the project.
“Mr Speaker, procurement approvals were sought for all the processes. One was the PPA approval to use the restricted tendering for the selected contractors who were perceived to be suited to build such an edifice,” he explained.
His statement aimed to dispel concerns over the transparency of the project’s procurement procedures. The construction of the new headquarters has been a subject of public debate, with critics questioning its cost and necessity.
Amoh emphasized that the selection of contractors followed due process to ensure the project adhered to the required standards and value-for-money principles.
The BoG’s new 21-story headquarters, located in Ridge, is expected to be completed in September 2024. It was officially inaugurated as part of the Bank Square by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on November 20, 2024.
During the inauguration, Akufo-Addo underscored the significance of the facility in enhancing Ghana’s financial infrastructure and ensuring the central bank operates at a level that meets international standards.
Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, the former Chairman of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) Board, has been detained by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) at its Kawukudi offices near Nima in the Greater Accra Region.
The reasons behind his detention remain undisclosed, as authorities have yet to issue an official statement clarifying the circumstances, according to reports.
Professor Ameyaw-Akumfi, who also served as Ghana’s Minister of Education, was reportedly apprehended by NIB operatives. His legal team has since mobilized, taking immediate steps to secure his release.
Lawyers representing the former PPA Board Chair are actively engaging with NIB officials to determine the grounds for his arrest and ensure that his rights are upheld.
Currently, his legal representatives are stationed at the NIB headquarters, pushing for bail as they navigate the legal channels necessary for his release.
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called on the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to cancel the contract for the construction of the National Cathedral awarded to Ribade Company Ltd.
This recommendation comes after CHRAJ concluded its investigation into allegations of corruption and abuse of power surrounding the controversial National Cathedral project.
The findings, detailed in a report dated November 22, 2024, revealed multiple breaches of Ghana’s procurement laws.
CHRAJ described the contract as “void ab initio,” stating that it was entered into in violation of the mandatory provisions of the Procurement Act, Act 663, as amended by Act 914.
The report, signed by CHRAJ Commissioner Joseph Whittal, emphasized the PPA’s authority to terminate the contract to uphold legal and procurement standards.
“The Board of the Public Procurement Authority should intervene to cancel the contract for the construction of the National Cathedral between the National Cathedral and Ribade Company, as it has the power to do so under the Procurement Act,” the report stated.
“The Board of the Public Procurement Authority should intervene to cancel the contract for the construction of the National Cathedral between the National Cathedral and Ribade Company as it has the power to do so under the Procurement Act.”
Additionally, CHRAJ urged the Auditor-General to conduct a forensic audit of the project, citing concerns about the GHS225,962,500.00 spent as of May 31, 2022, described as “seed money.”
“This sum of money has been expended on-site preparation, contractors’ mobilization, US fundraising, consultants, and symposia,” the report noted.
“Public interest dictates that there ought to be value for money in project execution. Unfortunately, this Commission has no expertise to determine whether there has been value for money considering the project remains in the same state.”
CHRAJ expressed concern over the reputational risks posed by the project’s controversies, emphasizing that breaches of procurement laws could attract “international embarrassment to the country considering its international status and that of Ribade Company Ltd.”
The Commission further recommended that the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral be subjected to investigation and possible prosecution for their role in awarding the contract in violation of procurement laws.
“The Commission further recommends for further investigation and possible prosecution of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral who superintended over the award of the contract to Ribade Company in disregard to Act 663 as amended,” the report stated.
The investigation was triggered by a petition from MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who has been a vocal critic of the National Cathedral project. He alleged corruption, abuse of power, and a lack of transparency in its construction.
The government and the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral have yet to respond to the findings and recommendations.
Meanwhile, CHRAJ has exonerated Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng of the Power House Chapel and Secretary to the National Cathedral Board of Trustees over allegations that he holds two passports with two different names.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in January 2023 petitioned CHRAJ to investigate Rev.Victor Kusi-Boateng for conflict of interest, including possession of multiple identities and other criminal dealings.
However, a report by CHRAJ has indicated that he holds one passport with the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi and has never been issued a passport with the name Kusi-Boateng as claimed.
Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa’s petition had also alleged that there was a transfer of GH¢2.6 million in cash from the National Cathedral Secretariat to JNS Talent Centre Limited owned by Rev. Kusi-Boateng under his secondary identity, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
However, the Commission concluded that no service was rendered by the JNS Talent Centre Limited owned by Rev. Kusi-Boateng under his secondary identity, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi and that there was no evidence of the said payment, thus clearing him of conflict of interest.
These claims were made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Ablakwa accused the Ministry of entering into a questionable contract with Access Services Ghana Limited for the management of visa applications for diplomatic missions abroad.
He further asserted that the company lacks a proven track record and that the contract was awarded without the necessary approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and Parliament.
However, the Ministry has described the allegations as “largely incorrect and calculated to deliberately mislead the public.”
“The attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration has been drawn to online publications by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for the North Tongu Constituency, on the above-mentioned subject.
“The article purported to give details of an agreement between the Ministry and Access Services Ghana Limited (Access). The Ministry wishes to put across that the facts as purported in the said article are largely incorrect and calculated to deliberately mislead the public on the intent of the Ministry.”
The Ministry also described as grossly misleading claims that Access Citizens would be raking in about US$ 38.2 million between now and September 2028, while Ghana’s Foreign Ministry struggles to get a meagre US$ 2 million out of that.
“The claim by Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that per his “conservative financial analysis, Access Citizens would be raking about US$ 38.2 million between now and September 2028 while Ghana’s Foreign Ministry struggles to get a measly US$ 2 million out of that” is grossly misleading.”
Clarifying the contract, the Ministry explained that Access Services would provide premium front-end visa application services using its facilities and personnel for an agreed fee.
“The agreement with Access allows for the provision of premium front-end visa application services by the company with its own facilities and personnel at an agreed fee to the user of their service, varying from $45, $55, and €55 depending on the country, with the Missions involved receiving £7, $7, and €7 out of these fees in the respective currency zones.
“Thus, the amount Access pays to Ghana’s Missions abroad provides the Missions with an additional stream of revenue. This is contrary to the view held by Hon. Ablakwa that what Access pays to these Missions constitutes their only source of funds,” it noted.
Access Services Ghana Limitedaccording to the Ministry are comparable to those offered by companies like VFS Global and TLSContact to foreign embassies in Ghana, which are utilized by Ghanaians seeking to travel abroad.
It added that the arrangement with Access aligns with global standards for visa application processing, where third-party visa application centres handle the receipt of applications and the capturing of biometric data.
The Chamber of Independent Power Generators Ghana (IPGGs) has raised concerns over delays in securing governmental approvals for the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) restructuring documents.
According to the Chamber, its members are on the verge of abandoning the PPA restructuring process and reverting to their existing PPAs.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the IPGGs, Togbe Afede XIV, and addressed to the Ministry of Finance on August 16, 2024, the IPPs respectfully demanded an urgent meeting with Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam to address these pressing concerns.
“We respectfully, as a matter of urgency, demand an appointment to meet with you to discuss and resolve these critical issues. This meeting must occur at the earliest opportunity next week, as any further delay could be catastrophic for the nation’s power supply stability. We kindly request that you confirm your availability for this meeting at your soonest convenience,” the statement read.
The statement continued, “The current situation is extremely disappointing as the IPGs played a major role in working with the government to support its necessary restructuring of the country’s indebtedness in order to qualify for the IMF [International Monetary Fund] loans. Not only did many of the IPGs agree to a haircut on the arrears owed to them at the time; IPGs agreed to defer a significant portion of future payments to enable the government to recover under the IMF programme.”
“Despite the economic hardship this caused the IPGs, we agreed to this structure to ensure the IPGs would receive consistent payments to cover our operations and debt obligations. We are hardly a year removed from shaking hands with this new arrangement, and ECG is already materially in default to the amount of $1.4 billion. As you can imagine, we feel highly betrayed by the situation we find ourselves in today,” it added.
The Chamber concluded by stating, “We are in a dire strait as the Government of Ghana and ECG have not fulfilled their end of the bargain. If the current situation continues, the IPGs will be left with no option but to exercise their rights under their respective contracts and to discontinue any unfulfilled negotiations. At this point, we cannot guarantee our cooperation moving forward, nor can we guarantee the continued reliable supply of electricity beyond August 30, 2024.”
In 2018, Busy Internet was a company in severe distress. As an internet service provider struggling against industry giants, it faced dwindling revenue, increasing liabilities, and growing staff discontent.
Adding to its troubles, the company owed millions of cedis in unpaid taxes and social security contributions.
It seemed imminent that the company might shut down. At this critical juncture, staff were informed that Busy Internet had been acquired by Aguila Holdings.
A few weeks later, they were further astonished and delighted to learn that Busy Internet had secured a major government contract to supply Wi-Fi services to secondary schools and Ghana Education Service offices nationwide.
This contract was particularly surprising because Busy Internet should not have been eligible to bid. With its significant tax liabilities and unpaid social security contributions, the company lacked the necessary tax and Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) clearance certificates, mandatory for bidding on government contracts.
Despite these clear disqualifications, Busy Internet secured the multi-million government contract through a sole-sourcing arrangement.
A former staff member of Busy Internet, intimately familiar with the contract but requesting anonymity, stated, “What I know for sure is that during that time we did not have a SSNIT clearance certificate nor a GRA tax clearance certificate,” to The Fourth Estate.
Moreover, Busy Internet was not registered with the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) as a supplier, contrary to PPA procurement rules, as confirmed by searches on the PPA website.
The five-year contract was awarded without the required parliamentary approval under Ghana’s Public Financial Management Act.
“It was good news,” says a former employee of Busy Internet who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation. “At the end, we were all of this conviction that the MOE [Wi-Fi] contract was going to end the woes of Busy Internet. We were sinking as a company and salaries were not being paid.”
The parent company of Busy Internet and Lifted Logistics, CEO of Aguila Holdings, Horpe Omotayo-Ojo, assured staff that their jobs were secure and efforts would be made to pay off Busy Internet’s debts and restore profitability. However, these promises were unfulfilled, and many employees were laid off as the company began installing internet connectivity devices in senior high schools across the country.
Despite being considered more suitable than industry leaders like MTN, which had just been licensed to provide 4G internet services, and Surfline Ghana Limited, another 4G internet service provider, Busy Internet secured the contract.
The Free Senior High School Coordinator, William Darkwa, explained that the major players were not interested due to concerns about delayed government payments.
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After securing the contract, Busy Internet subcontracted MTN Ghana and AirtelTigo to provide the services it had agreed to supply. Initially, the Wi-Fi system worked, and some schools had internet access. However, connectivity issues soon arose. The Fourth Estate found that out of 50 schools visited in 2023, 48 had been without internet for several months. Complaints to Busy Internet’s customer service were largely unaddressed, leaving schools frustrated and angry.
The investigation revealed that Busy Internet, despite being unqualified, was awarded a major government contract through sole-sourcing. The initial contract cost between Busy Internet and the Ministry of Education was GHS84.4 million, with the Ministry also obligated to pay a monthly recurrent cost of GHS6.4 million for internet connectivity to schools and educational offices.
The Wi-Fi for schools project fulfilled a 2016 manifesto promise by the governing New Patriotic Party to provide free Wi-Fi for senior secondary and tertiary institutions nationwide. As of February 2024, over 1,000 institutions were connected to the internet under this contract.
The Fourth Estate’s investigation revealed that internet services to these schools and offices were unreliable, with many lacking internet for months, while the Ministry of Education paid GHS56 million for services barely provided.
In May 2023, the PPA approved a name change from Busy Internet to Lifted Logistics Ghana, although Lifted Logistics was not a licensed internet service provider at the time. The PPA also approved an increase in the monthly recurring cost from GHS6.5 million to GHS11.5 million, nearly doubling the government’s cost for a poorly delivered service.
“If it is a joint venture and there is a new entity borne out of this joint venture, you need to have the mandatory requirements,” Mr Sarpong said. “There is a clause that if you are subcontracting any portion of this contract, you need to inform the principal so that due diligence is done on the subcontractor to check if everything of theirs is good.”
Former employees raised concerns about the transfer of Busy Internet’s license to another entity, but the NCA confirmed in March 2023 that Busy Internet’s license had not been transferred or reassigned. Procurement Consultant Collins Agyemang Sarpong noted that sub-contracting to an unregistered internet service provider raised further questions about the arrangement’s legitimacy.
The Fourth Estate contacted the PPA for clarification on approving a multi-million contract for an unqualified company and the subsequent increase in monthly costs but received no response.
The KPMG audit report on the contracts between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) has revealed several breaches in the country’s laws regarding procurement processes.
According to the report, six contracts between GRA and SML were executed without the necessary approvals from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) and Parliament, as required by law.
The contracts included transaction audit services, external price verification services, consolidation services agreements, and measurement audits of downstream petroleum products.
The audit report highlighted that GRA sought PPA approval for single-source arrangements with SML on three separate occasions in 2017 but was declined due to SML’s lack of capacity and prior experience in providing the services.
Despite this, GRA went ahead to engage SML as a subcontractor to West Blue Ghana Ltd without PPA approval.
Furthermore, after the expiration of West Blue’s contract and SML’s subcontract agreement, GRA entered into a new agreement with SML for transaction audit services without obtaining PPA approval. This agreement was extended on a monthly basis without the necessary approvals.
GRA entered into six (6) service agreements with SML, utilising the single-source method without obtaining approval from PPA, as outlined below:
a) Transaction Audit Services — 1 June 2018
b) Contract Extension — 1 January 2019
c) External Price Verification Services — 1 April 2019
e) Measurement Audit of Downstream Petroleum Products — 3 October 2019
f) Addendum to Measurement Audit for Downstream Petroleum Products Agreement — 29 July 2020.
SMEL was refused PPA approval on THREE occasions because the PPA said the company lacked the "capacity and experience" to deliver on the contract. Then the company changed its name to SML. And got all these contracts listed below without PPA approval. Page 14 of KPMG report. pic.twitter.com/MrMwHMzOJq
— Manasseh Azure Awuni (@Manasseh_Azure) May 22, 2024
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has filed fresh criminal charges against the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei.
Adjei now faces eight new counts linked to the misuse of his public office for personal gain and manipulating procurement processes to gain an unfair advantage in contract awards.
These charges were brought forth by the Special Prosecutor at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra on April 17.
These new accusations add to the previous charges Adjei was confronting, which consisted of seventeen counts. Among these, he was accused of establishing Talent Discovery Limited (TDL) as a guise to unlawfully secure public contracts.
The latest charges comprise eight counts of leveraging public office for personal profit and nine counts of influencing procurement processes, both directly and indirectly, to secure an unfair advantage in contract awards.
Furthermore, Adjei’s brother-in-law, Francis Kwaku Arhin, who allegedly acted as the CEO of TDL and holds a minority stake, faces one count of exploiting public office for personal gain.
Adjei had served as the CEO of PPA from March 2017 to August 2019. His dismissal from the position came after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo acted upon a recommendation from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), which was prompted by his involvement in a documentary titled “Contract for Sale.”
Adjei now faces eight additional counts related to using his public office for personal profit and exerting indirect influence on procurement processes to gain an unfair advantage in contract awards.
These charges were presented by the Special Prosecutor at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra on April 17.
These new charges supplement the previous seventeen counts Adjei was facing, which included accusations of establishing Talent Discovery Limited (TDL) as a front to unlawfully secure public contracts.
The new charges specifically include eight counts of using public office for personal gain and nine counts of influencing procurement processes, directly and indirectly, to secure an unfair advantage in contract awards.
In addition, Adjei’s brother-in-law, Francis Kwaku Arhin, who was alleged to be the CEO of TDL and holds a minority stake, faces one count of using public office for profit.
Adjenim Boateng Adjei served as the CEO of PPA from March 2017 to August 2019.
He was relieved of his duties by President Akufo-Addo following a recommendation from the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), prompted by his involvement in a documentary titled “Contract for Sale.”
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, disclosed that officials at the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) feel pressured to approve sole sourcing contract requests, even if they don’t meet the necessary criteria, due to fear of dismissal.
According to Avedzi, nearly all of these requests from state institutions, about 99.9%, are granted because of the influential figures in government backing such contracts.
Speaking to EIB Network’s Parliamentary Affairs Correspondent Ibrahim Alhassan, Avedzi highlighted that many of the infractions outlined in the Auditor General’s Reports revolve around procurement, despite the existence of laws governing the process.
He further explained that PPA officials often feel compelled to approve these irregular requests, fearing job loss if they refuse the powerful individuals behind them.
“What they do is to write to the Procurement Authority for approval and I can tell you that if you take a 100% of requests to the Public Procurement Authority, about 99.9% are approved.”
Mr. Avedzi pointed out that despite President Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and key members of the NPP expressing strong disapproval of sole sourcing, the practice has become prevalent.
“It is happening now more than before. The challenge that the workers or those people who are working at the Public Procurement Authority have is that, if there is a pressure from high authority, I want you to approve this request. So you choose between your job security and approval of that.”.
“The request will not be met because there are conditions under which you can do sole sourcing. Those conditions are not met by that request and if I don’t do it maybe I will be sacked, Maybe the one who put me there is asking me to do it, if I deny him this, what will happen? My job is at stake.
According to him, the other challenge with the fight against corruption is the poor working conditions of the staff of the PPA. According to Mr. Avedzi the development makes it difficult for the authority to exercise its mandate to ensure a better procurement process.
The PAC chairman related to a staff member of the PPA whose terms of engagement were varied to her disadvantage.
“The other one is the condition of service of those working at the regulatory body. There was an issue where somebody was engaged as a lawyer on contract and she was being paid around GhC4,000.00, which is also not enough, but she was managing with that and when her condition of employment was regularised, she’s now been put on government payroll. Approval had been given by the Public Services Commission and the salary came down to about GhC2,000.00, to her disadvantage. So the board of PPA had to decide what to do. They decided to top up her salary by GhC2,000.00 to still maintain the GhC4,000.00.
The auditors cited that difference and when I looked at it I said, looking at the condition under which this thing happened, I don’t think we should push it too much. So if the condition of service of the people who are working there is so bad, what do you think they will do? They are human beings, and they will be tempted to receive some packages to make them survive, so that they can take care of their family. So these two things are making it to the extent that procurement issues are becoming alarming. So how do we resolve this?”
Mr. Avedzi called for better conditions of service for the staff of PPA. This, according to him, will help address their susceptibility to corruption.
“That regulatory body must be well paid so that there will be no temptation to receive anything. It will not completely rule it out but it can cut it down to a large extent. Once I’m paid well and you want to offer me a bribe or something so that I can approve something that I know is wrong, my conscience will tell me that ‘hey look why do you want to do this?’ So let’s pay them well.”
The lawmaker also called on government officials and leading members of the governing party to refrain from putting pressure on PPA to approve sole sourcing requests which do not meet the requirements of the Act.
“To those of us who are putting pressure on them to approve something that we know is wrong because we are doing it for our own benefit must be committed to say that ‘I will not do that’ . Once we do that, we solve the problem.
Mr. Avedzi expressed frustration over the failure to act on the recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee regarding breaches identified in the Auditor General’s reports.
“The third one is that those people who are found liable must be punished and this Public Accounts Committee has cited and referred a number of people. The prominent among them is the sole sourcing which was done by Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company. I referred this to the Attorney General for prosecution but as we sit here no prosecution has started,” Mr. Avedzi stated.
Volta River Authority (VRA) was allegedly engaged in corrupt activities worth $52m dollars in September 2022, under the leadership of CEO Emmanuel Darkwa, according to a report by Ghana Crimes.
The X user, Ghana Crimes, in a post on indicated that VRA submitted a formal request to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) during the specified month, detailing their intention to procure specific equipment through a sole-source tender.
Ghana’s procurement regulations explicitly state that when a state institution, such as VRA, seeks approval for a sole-source contract award from the PPA, they are prohibited from including any additional third-party companies beyond those initially presented to the Public Procurement Authority.
Notably, the request explicitly named a particular company with which VRA purportedly intended to engage in the procurement process.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when the approved procurement from the PPA revealed discrepancies.
Contrary to the details presented in VRA’s request, it was disclosed that the specified company was not the exclusive entity with which VRA conducted business.
This apparent deviation from the initial request raises serious concerns, as it constitutes a clear violation of Ghana’s procurement laws.
“In September 2022, VRA, led by CEO Emmanuel Darkwa, submitted a request to the Public Procurement Authority, expressing their intention to acquire certain equipment through a sole-source tender, specifying the particular company with which they planned to engage. However, contrary to what was stated in their request, the approved procurement from the PPA revealed that the mentioned company wasn’t the sole entity with which VRA conducted business,” it stated.
The CEO of VRA, Mr. Emmanuel Darkwa who ideally should be on retirement because he is 63 years is still at post with no contract.
Adding complexity to this revelation is the fact that VRA, the entity in direct communication with the PPA, allegedly failed to reach out to the manufacturer explicitly mentioned in their initial letter as the intended partner for the procurement.
The disclosed contract amount for this transaction is a substantial $52 million, further amplifying the gravity of the situation.
“This is a clear violation to Ghana’s procurement laws which suggests that when a state institution writes to PPA to seek for approval for a sole source contracts award, they do not add up any other third party company to what has already been presented to the Public Procurement Authority. What makes this disclosure intriguing is that VRA, the entity that communicated with the PPA, did not reach out to the manufacturer explicitly mentioned in their letter as their intended partner. The contract amount stood at $52 million,” it added.
Fire has engulfed the home of Professor Christopher Ameyaw Akumfi, the Board Chairman of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), in Techiman, destroying properties estimated at several hundred thousand Ghana Cedis.
The incident occurred on December 9, 2023, leaving the professor’s daughter in her 30s with severe burn injuries.
Professor Ameyaw Akumfi was not at home during the incident, as he was reportedly attending a funeral.
Preliminary investigations indicate that there was an explosion in one of the rooms, leading to thick smoke and a subsequent fire. The daughter suffered severe burn injuries and was taken to the Holy Family Hospital in Techiman.
“No a single property was saved from the house. Onlookers only managed to push one of the vehicles to safety but the whole building has been reduced to ashes”, an aide to the PPA Board Chairman told MyNewsGh.com.
According to him, the cause of the fire is unknown.
Deputy CEO of the Ghana Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Mr. Kwame Prempeh, has indicated that Suppliers, Consultants, Contractors, and other procurement entities who haven’t registered on the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) will soon face challenges in conducting business with the government.
They may encounter obstacles in their operations and might not be guaranteed payment after providing services.
Mr. Prempeh delivered this message while giving a lecture on the Overview of Ghana’s Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS) to members of the Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) on August 10th, 2023, at the Engineers Centre in Roman Ridge, Accra.
He explained that GHANEPS has made procurement processes paperless, eliminating the need for traditional printouts of tender documents. GHANEPS serves as an integrated system that streamlines procurement entities, enhances transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness, and provides seamless monitoring of contracts for government’s tax benefits.
During the period from 2019 to 2023, over 660 procurement entities have been trained and enrolled in GHANEPS, as part of the PPA’s plan to train and enroll 15 entities per month.
The rollout process is regional, covering all public procurement entities (PPE) within a region over approximately three months. Multiple rollouts are conducted for regions with more than 50 entities. Greater Accra has seen the most rollouts.
Mr. Kwame Prempeh also mentioned that by integrating the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) with GHANEPS, procurement entities increase the likelihood of receiving timely payment from the government after delivering goods/services. This integration helps reduce unauthorized contracts and arrears for the government.
Ing. Kwabena Bempong, the President of the Ghana Institution of Engineering, stressed the importance of fairness, value for money, and transparency in procurement.
He highlighted that GHANEPS eliminates the human element, preventing manipulation and ensuring the integrity of the procurement process.
The lecture was attended by various engineering professionals, including Ing. Leslie Alex Aryeh (Past President of GhIE), Ing.
David Kwatia Nyante (Executive Director of GhIE), GhIE Council members, and engineers. The session was moderated by Ing. Joyce Asante, a professional Electrical/Electronic Engineer.
Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Bright Simons, has accused the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) of spending a colossal amount of $150 million of meters without a tender.
In a Twitter post on August 2, 2023, he noted that the company is “aggressively pushing for exemption from all procurement laws.”
Mr Bright Simons based his assertion on a letter dated April 17, 2023, from the ECG in response to his request for documentation on the company’s position on the Public Procurement Act on February 21, 2023.
According to the ECG, the Company, in accordance with its legal status as a private incorporated company, has as a matter corporate policy been operating without strict adherence to the provisions of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) although the principles underpinning Act 663 have been incorporated in the Procurement Policy of ECG to ensure a judicious, economic and efficient use of the financial resources of ECG.
“We further agree to have our legal team hold themselves in readiness to engage with your team to better understand the position of the Company, should this be deemed necessary. Your cooperation in this regard is much appreciated,” the letter added.
Mr Simons has been questioning the efficiency of the new ECG management under the leadership of Managing Director, Samuel Dubik Mahama, in recent times.
Meanwhile, former Power Minister, Dr. Kwabena Donkor has advised the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to increase its efficiency if it wants to prevent financial losses.
According to him, ECG usually incurred losses due to technical and commercial mishaps during power distribution. This, he says, negatively impacts profit.
“The way out is first ECG has to improve its efficiency. ECG losses about 30% of power they buy either in technical loses or commercialise loses and their margin is not 30%,” he said.
The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has granted approval for the appointment of a transaction advisor to facilitate the sale of the Saglemi Housing project to a private sector entity.
This move came after a directive from Cabinet to the Minister of Works and Housing to explore the possibility of disposing of the project.
The objective is to sell the project to a private sector entity at its current value, with the responsibility of completing the housing units and selling them to the public without any further cost to the government.
To oversee and manage all the necessary engagements for the project’s completion, the Ministry of Works and Housing has formed a technical working group comprising representatives from various state and independent professional institutions.
The Saglemi Housing project, originally planned to provide mortgage arrangements for 5,000 housing units to be sold to employees through the Ghana Home Loans Company, faced variations during execution, resulting in only 1,506 housing units being completed.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of transparency and ensuring value for money in executing the Cabinet’s directive.
Valuable lessons learned from the Saglemi project have influenced the approach and execution of the new housing initiative.
Acknowledging the delays and setbacks in the Saglemi Project, President Akufo-Addo revealed that issues regarding its scope of work and expenditure are under investigation by the criminal investigations division of the Ghana Police Service.
To prevent further deterioration, the Ministry of Works and Housing has been actively engaging with Cabinet, the Minister of Finance, and the Office of the Attorney General.
An additional $56 million will be required for completing offsite infrastructure works such as water, electricity, and storm drains to mitigate flooding. Moreover, $68 million is needed for finalizing the buildings and essential on-site infrastructure, including a waste holding bay, sewage treatment plant, and the development of socio-economic and civic infrastructure like a basic school, a clinic, and shops.
The sale of the Saglemi Housing project to a private developer is expected to enable its completion and successful integration into the Revised National Affordable Housing Programme.
The Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has announced its intention to appeal the ruling of the High Court in the case involving Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
Justice Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, presiding over the case, determined that CHRAJ had violated the fair hearing rule by substituting parts of the complaint filed by Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) with its own allegations.
The Court further stated that CHRAJ had failed to provide Mr. Adjei with the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses during its investigations before drawing conclusions.
Moreover, the Court highlighted that CHRAJ had neglected to investigate the substantive complaints made by the complainant (GII) and instead focused on unrelated matters.
Consequently, the Court overturned the Commission’s report, which had contained adverse findings against Mr. Adjei.
CHRAJ maintains that a previous ruling in a similar case remains valid, and thus, the findings and directives issued by the Commission are still in effect.
The Accra High Court has dismissed a report by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) concerning Adjenim Boateng Adjei, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
The court, presided over by Judge Audrey Kocuvie-Tay, ruled that CHRAJ breached the fair hearing rule by replacing portions of the complaint made by antigraft campaigners; Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), with the former’s own allegations.
Additionally, the Accra High Court stated that Adjenim Boateng Adjei was not given the chance, by CHRAJ, to cross-examine the witnesses called during their investigations before they arrived at their conclusions.
Also, the court said that CHRAJ focused on matters that were not part of the submission of GII, failing to rather investigate the substantive complaints in the case.
The case of the former CEO of the Public Procurement Agency (PPA) was prompted by an investigative exposé by celebrated anti-corruption investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, in 2019.
The exposé was titled; “Contract for Sale.”
Thereafter, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the PPA boss, as well as other Members of the Board of the PPA on issues of corruption, conflict of interest, collusion and inappropriate conduct in violation of the constitution.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has directed that the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, be prosecuted for criminal offences.
The report also directed the similar criminal prosecutions of the two deputy CEOs of the NDA, Stephen Yir-eru Engman (Operations), and Patrick Seidu (Finance & Administration).
This, the report stated, is due to their respective roles in breaches of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663).
This was contained in the OSP’s Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption-Related Offences involving the Northern Development Authority and A&QD Consortium Limited, dated January 24, 2023.
It was based on a written complaint dated June 15, 2022, and addressed to the Special Prosecutor by Martin Luther Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, requesting for investigation into the operations of NDA and the actions of its Chief Executive and Board Chairman.
“The complaint alleged that NDA awarded a contract to A&QS Consortium Limited (hereafter, A&QS) on 28 January 2020 for consultancy services for the supervision of some constituencies in the Upper West Region under the IPEP for the contract sum of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GHC5,720,000.00). However, upon the exit of the then Acting Chief Executive who executed the contract, the contract sum was illegally increased to Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GHC10,400,000.00) by the removal of the page containing the original figure of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GHC5,720,000.00) and its replacement at page 25 clause 33.1 of the contract with a fresh page containing the bloated figure of Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GHC10,400,000.00) to make it appear as if it is the contract executed by the previous Acting Chief Executive,” the report stated.
According to the OSP, it conducted the investigations over a period of six months, interviewing twenty persons over a period of four months before arriving at its conclusions.
It established that there were some major breaches in a contract that existed between the government organisation and A&QS and Associate Beaver Consult for the implementation of NDA’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) at a contract sum of Twenty-Nine Million Six Hundred and Forty Thousand cedis (GHC29,640,000.00).
The report also indicated how the outgoing CEO of the NDA had struck a deal with the companies, but upon his termination, the same was not communicated with the new management.
“In December 2019, Dr. Haroun’s appointment was terminated. At the time of his exit as Acting Chief Executive of NDA, the two (2) procured companies – A&QS and Associate Beaver Consult – had not been notified of any award of a contract, and no contract had been executed between NDA and either consulting entity for the commencement of the respective projects.
“There appeared to be a framework document which had the signatures of Dr. Haroun and the Chief Executive of A&QS, Mr. Andrew Kuundaari. However, the signatures were not witnessed. Then again, the document had no deliverables on the nature of the work to be performed by A&QS. It had no contract sum and it had neither a commencement date nor a date for the contract period. Mr. Kuundaari did not read the framework document and he did not know its contents since it had always remained in the custody of Mr. Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, the Deputy Chief Executive of NDA in charge of Operations.
“It was evident and clear to every relevant person that no contract had been signed between NDA and A&QS at the time of Dr. Haroun’s departure. However, Mr. Kuundaari and Mr. Engmen would subsequently point to the framework document in an attempt to justify their actions,” the report stated.
In its conclusion, the OSP report stated that it had directed the Controller and Accountant General to freeze payments to A&QS.
It further directed for the criminal prosecutions of the CEO, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, and his two deputies.
“On 1 July 2022, the Special Prosecutor directed the Controller and Accountant General to immediately freeze payments to A&QS under NDA’s implementation of the IPEP until the close of the investigation. While lifting the directive in principle, the Special Prosecutor advises all public officers in the approval chain to advert their minds to the tenor of the 16 January 2020 PPA approval for the procurement by NDA of A&QS and to ensure value for money.
“On the basis of the findings, the Special Prosecutor directs the criminal prosecution of the persons named below for respective breaches of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663): Mr. Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Chief Executive, Northern Development Authority; Mr. Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations), Northern Development Authority; and Mr. Patrick Seidu, Deputy Chief Executive (Finance & Administration), Northern Development Authority,” it added.
The former Chief Executive Officer of the Public Procurement Authority, Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei, is expected to appear again in court today, Thursday, October 13, 2022, following charges preferred against him by the Special Prosecutor earlier this year.
The ex-PPA Boss has been slapped with 17 charges by the Special Prosecutor.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges when he was arraigned on May 25, 2022 before the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court.
Mr. AB Adjei denied seven counts of using Public office for profit and 10 counts of directly and indirectly influencing the Public Procurement process using his office.
The second accused person Francis Kwaku Arhin, his brother-in-law also pleaded not guilty to one count of using Public officer for profit.
The two were months ago granted bail in the sums of GHc5 million cedis each with two justified sureties.
The suspended Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Adjenim Boateng Adjei, has asked the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to turn investigations of allegations of conflict of interest levelled against him into a public hearing.
A.B. Adjei was reported to the CHRAJ by President Akufo-Addo following a documentary titled ‘Contracts for Sale’ which was put together by investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni, highlighting alleged procurement misconducts, which has sparked heated debate.
Apart from the CHRAJ, President Akufo-Addo referred A.B. Adjei to the Office of the Special Prosecutor for investigation and has since been invited by the anti-corruption body to be interrogated. However, in a letter written to CHRAJ through his lawyers, the beleaguered PPA boss said that justice would be better served if his case was held publicly instead of an in-camera hearing.
The letter further states that the request for a public hearing is necessitated by the nature of the complaint against him and the “rather devastating harm, albeit unjustified” caused him.
Mr. Adjei is confident he will be vindicated by a proper and sound enquiry into the merits of the complaints against him.
“We are of the humble opinion that the interests of justice will better be served by a public hearing of the complaint rather than an in-camera hearing,” the letter demanded.
CHRAJ wrote to A.B. Adjei for his initial comment on the complaint which he has responded, denying all the allegations levelled against him.
In his response, he stated that there was no evidence of any act or omission supporting an allegation of having discharged his duties as a public officer for the benefit of a company he has an interest in.
Mr. Adjei, through his lawyer, Yaw Oppong, also contended that Manasseh Azure Awuni who is the complainant “has not demonstrated how our client’s personal interests interfered with the performance of his duties and functions.”
He said the allegations in the documentary against him are simply anchored on assumptions and conjectures, and betray gross unfamiliarity with the laws on public procurement in Ghana.
The suspended PPA boss said the allegation contained in the documentary does not impinge on conflict of interest as “a claim of the sale of contracts by TDL after that company had participated in a tender not organised by the PPA and had been declared the successful tenderer not by the PPA but by other entities, has no bearing on a conflicts of interest with the duties of our client as a public officer.â€
