https://www.myjoyonline.com/chief-of-staff-initiates-probe-into-36m-bus-branding-deal/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/chief-of-staff-initiates-probe-into-36m-bus-branding-deal/

Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, has directed the Attorney General to review the contract and associated payments in the spraying and branding of 116 new intra-city buses.

A letter dated December 17, 2015 to the Attorney-General, Marrieta Brew Appiah-Oppong, has asked that a probe be conducted into the controversial deal and findings communicated by close of day December 21, 2015.

It emerged this week that GHC3, 649, 004 Ghana oil funds have been spent on re-branding Metro Mass Rapid Transit buses, generating a huge controversy in Parliament.

The Minority says the allocation is unacceptable and wasteful.

 “The branding of each bus costs 31, 000.00 cedis and this is too huge and unacceptable,” Minority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu said.

It emerged later that the GHC3.6million expenditure on the branding of the 116 buses was because the artistic work was expensive.

The buses have been branded with pictures of the three former Presidents and the current President, John Mahama.

Meanwhile, the company that branded the buses says the figures quoted in government documents as cost of the branding is “outrageous”.

According to Kwaku Mensah Abeiku, Manager of Crystal Concept, his company charged GHȼ11,600 as cost for the branding of all the 116 buses.

Kwaku Mensah Abeiku, Manager of Crystal Concept says he charged only GHC100.00 for the branding of each bus.

The issue has generated severe public furore, with suspicion that the cost of branding may have been bloated by someone high up in government.

The issue is coming at a time when a power deal between government and the African and Middle East Resources Investemnt (AMERI Group) is under public scrutiny for suspected corruption and overbloated expenditure.

On Thursday, a woman wept on live radio over concerns of heightened corruption in the country. She called in to contribute to a discussion on the controversy surrounding the branding of the 116 buses.

Hopefully, the probe into the bus branding deal would bring some respite to the angry public.

 

 

 

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