A contract alteration scandal has hit the Northern Development Authority (NDA) where a Gh¢5.7Million contract signed by an immediate-past CEO of the company was altered to double the figure by his successor long after the work was done and due for payment
A series of exposés by the immediate-past CEO of NDA, Dr. Alhassan Anamzoya, he awarded a contract to a firm called A&Q while in office at a sum of ¢5,720,000 approved by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) under the under the government’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).
The PPA on January 16, 2020, gave approval to NDA under Dr. Anamzoya to use single-source procurement to recruit various consultancy services to implement the IPEP programme at the amount Gh¢5.7Million.
However, upon succeeding Dr. Anamzoya, the new NDA CEO, Sumaila Abdul Rahman allegedly used office clerical correction tools to falsify the figures of the contract and also forged the signature of his predecessor to inflate the total contract sum to Gh¢10,400,000 instead of the Gh¢5.7Million.
Despite the clear fraud and possible criminal repercussions, the New NDA CEO applied for the amount to be paid and same was effected with only fraction left to be cleared.
The NDA under Dr. Anamzoya engagwd the services of the A&Qs Firm to provide Consultancy Supervision for 11 constituencies in the Upper West Region at the cost of ¢5,720,000 with PPA approval. Even though the award letter signed by Anamzoya and the corresponding PPA approval showed an amount of ¢5,720,000, under Sumaila Abdul Rahman as CEO, he allegedly doctored the contract award letter to show Ghc¢10,400,000 and submitted same for payment to be made which 30% was done.
The alleged infraction were made to inflate the figures and possibly steal from the state knowing the works and the contract award did not march under the current NDA CEO Sumaila Abdul Rahman.
On June 30, it was reported that the Controller and Accountant General’s Department was readying to make the remainder of the payment despite repeated petitions on the matter to the Chief of Staff and the Special Prosecutor.
The former NDA CEO petitioned the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, over the fraud issue involving his successor but she failed to act, creating the impression of official culpability in the deal.
Dr Sulemana Anamzoya, in the petition to Frema Opare, clearly and with black and white evidence accused his successor, Sumaila Abdul Rahman, of falsifying figures and forging his signature to cash in the Gh¢10,400,000 contract.
This is the reason why Martin Kpebu alleged that he is convinced the President is directly involved in crimes against the state and is head of the Criminal Syndicate at the Jubilee House. Martin Kpebu led the petition to the Special Prosecutor on the matter and since then no action had been taken.
Source: MyNewsGh.com/2022
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