Private Legal Practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has asked President Akufo-Addo to dismiss the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare.

He said the Chief of Staff has failed to act on an alleged fraud case involving the CEO of the Northern Development Authority (NDA).

Speaking on the Super Morning Show, on Friday, July 1, Mr Kpebu asserted that the failure of the Chief of Staff to act on the matter six months after her attention was drawn to it, is an indication that she is inefficient.

“I think that for the meantime, the Chief of Staff has to go, because this tells you that she’s sleeping on the job because this was addressed to her about six months ago,” he said.

Mr. Kpebu’s call follows a petition by the former CEO of the Authority, Dr. Sulemana Anamzoya, in which he accused his successor, Sumaila Abdul Rahman, of falsifying figures and forging his signature for a GH¢10,400,000 contract. Dr. Anamzoya further accused Mr. Rahman of inflating the cost of the contract.

Mr. Kpebu called on the President to immediately take action against the people who are complicit in the matter, especially the Chief of Staff over her silence on the matter.

He said as a President who has been a strong advocate against corruption prior to assuming office and a man who vowed to take on anyone who will engage in corrupt practices under his administration, it's high time he proved himself by dismissing the people involved in this alleged fraud scheme.

“Something must give. This intransigence must stop, that will show the citizens that he [the President] means it when he says he is fighting corruption,” he said.

“The President and Vice President take part of the blame but the Chief of Staff takes most part of the blame because she’s the junior-most among these three,” he added.

Background

The two-page petition by Dr. Sulemana Anamzoya, which was copied to President Akufo-Addo, detailed how the Sumaila Abdul Rahman-led Management committed the fraud in his name.

“Quite recently, my attention has been drawn to a contract purportedly signed by me whiles I was in office as Ag. Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), awarding a Consultancy Service contract to A&Q’s Consortium (A&Q’s) in the sum of GH¢10,400,000 under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP),” portions of the document sighted by JoyNews read.

According to him, the only contract he awarded to A&Q’s firm while in office was a sum of GH₵5,720,000.

In the petition, the former CEO noted that the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), on January 16, 2020 gave approval to NDA to use single-source procurement to recruit various consultancy services to implement the IPEP programme.

“The PPA approval letter provided details of the appointment, the proposed consultants, the number of constituencies per region for each consultant and the estimated cost per consultant (please find enclosed PPA’s approval letter).

“On January 28, 2020, with PPA approval, I signed contracts awarding the consultancy services contract to the five consultants who were approved by the PPA,” he said in the petition.

On the back of this, Dr. Anamzoya said he engaged A&Qs to provide Consultancy Supervision for 11 constituencies in the Upper West Region at an estimated cost of GH¢5,720,000.

“Even though the award letter I signed has an amount of GH¢5,720,000, I have sighted a doctored version of the award letter which indicates that I purportedly signed a Consultancy Supervision Contract to A&Q’s under the IPEP at the cost of GH¢10,400,000 which I vehemently deny as having emanated from me (please find attached the doctored contract document).

“As evidenced by the doctored contract attached, my signature was transposed on a contract (with a sum of GH¢10,400,000), whose numbering does not tally with the remaining pages of the contract.”

The embattled CEO told the Chief of Staff and the President, “Whatever the perpetrators’ intent might be, this matter needs urgent attention to expose the perpetrators and punishment meted out to them, but more importantly to clear me of any wrongdoing.

“Accordingly, I wish to bring this to your attention for your good office for further investigations, whilst I take steps to report the incident to the Ghana Police Service.”