A survey conducted by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) and Local Accountability Networks (LANETs) has revealed that assemblies across the country were avoided in the award of some public contracts.
The survey conducted under the “Disclosure to Impact program“ which is being piloted, indicated that selected road projects awarded between 2011 and 2017 funded by petroleum proceeds were done without the involvement of the respective assemblies.
The Programmes Officer of GACC, Samuel Harrison Kudzo, said the survey was carried out in the Tamale, Sekendi Takoradi, Nzema East Metropolis, the Ho Municipality, and Asante Akim District, indicating officials did not know or had little knowledge about the selected projects ongoing in their respective areas.
“We monitor projects that were funded by petroleum revenue. We picked the annual budget funding and we picked the project that this money went into. All the key things we are finding out is that the assemblies are sidestepped when it comes to these petroleum-funded projects.
“For all of the projects that we have monitored, you go to the assemblies and the assemblies don’t know any information about the project. Some don’t know anything about the project”, he said.
He decried an emerging trend where contracts are awarded at the seat of government or ministries without involving the assemblies, which he described as worrying.
He said the act borders on accountability and transparency as it had been difficult for the assemblies to assess the scope of work, track work delivery, project cost, and what had been paid among others.
“The fact that we have sidestepped the assemblies who are the representatives of the President raises an issue of transparency and accountability”, he said.
He asserted that strategic spending of Dubai’s oil fund has resulted in the country becoming a tourism hub, generating billions of dollars annually. He entreated Ghanaian leaders to emulate the example.
Mr. Harrison also implored the citizenry to put aside their political affiliations and speak against wrongdoings by leaders of the country.
Source: Myjoyonline
