The Municipal Chief Executive of the Ashaiman Municipal Assembly, Albert Boakye Okyere, has saved the Assembly from incurring additional debt of five hundred thousand Ghana cedis by revising an alleged bloated contract to evacuate refuse from the municipality.
The contract which was being considered by the erstwhile NDC administration under the leadership of Ibrahim Baidoo, was considering to sign a contract to evacuate heaps of refuse at a temporary dumping site along the motorway, which has become a nuisance to residents.
However, the vigilance of the incumbent Municipal Chief Executive was able to execute the same contract that was supposed to have cost the tax payer in excess of about eight hundred thousand Ghana cedis to a little over two hundred thousand Ghana cedis thereby saving the Assembly close to a whopping five hundred thousand Ghana cedis.
According to the chief executive, upon assumption of office, he was briefed on the refuse situation and the various efforts to clear the temporary dumping site of the heaps of rubbish, but was unsuccessful due to the high quotation brought forward by various bidders.
“When I took office, I was briefed on the refuse situation and the various quotations brought forward. However I noticed the Assembly was broke and also the quotations were quite high considering the nature of work to be done. The least quotation to evacuate the refuse turned mountain was six hundred and 60 thousand Ghana cedis, and others within the range of as high as seven hundred to eight hundred thousand Ghana cedis, which I thought were too much for the Assembly to bear considering its financial status.”
Mr. Okyere said he therefore adopted a strategy by constituting a committee made up of Assembly members and technocrats at the Assembly to execute the same contract without having to award it to any contractor.
Mr. Okyere said “it is sad the erstwhile administration was considering signing a contract of such magnitude without recourse to the state of the Assembly which is in a wobbling state where it was highly broke and in debt.”
He also said the Ibrahim Baidoo administration as per the handing over notes, left behind a debt of Ghc17 million, one hundred and six thousand, eight hundred and fifty eight Ghana cedis, sixteen pesewas (17,106,858.16), while its total revenue generated as at 31st May, 2017 stood at two million and four hundred and sixty-five thousand, two hundred and seventy three Ghana cedis, seven pesewas (2,465,273.07) representing 11% of annual budgeted revenue of 22 million, one hundred and ninety eight thousand, four hundred and forty seven and twenty pesewas.
He said the financial status of the Assembly is not the best, and requires pragmatic measures to ensure the Assembly is back on track to enhance development.
He said he will review all contracts under the erstwhile administration and ensure value for money as well as revoke those that were signed in haste during the transition period that are questionable.
“I am not here to witch-hunt, but to ensure the people get value for money because the municipality needs more and I can’t afford to disappoint my people and the president” he noted.
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