The Communication Secretariat of Sunyani West Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has raised serious concerns about the purchase and presentation of an ambulance by Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, MP for the area, to the people of Nsoatre. A statement signed by Mr Abubakar Ibrahim Mensah, constituency secretary and made available to the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani expressed the party's worry over how the GHS 24, 500.00 vehicle, a Ford with registration number BA 328-10 donated by the MP on June 4 last year and "supposedly a brand new vehicle", could break down in just three months when there was "very little pressure" on it. "At least a brand new car should have a warranty offer. We therefore wish to know from Mr. Baffour Awuah whether the warranty period has expired or not. If the warranty period has not expired then why should the over 100 churches and mosques in Nsoatre be asked to contribute GH¢ 200.00 each towards the maintenance of the vehicle?" the statement asked. They said the Nsoatre Traditional Council had already spent GHS2, 500.00 on the maintenance of the vehicle and the contribution of GHS200.00 each by the churches and mosques would amount to more than GHS20, 000.00, which could be used to buy a new vehicle. "We are reliably informed that the vehicle was purchased from a special fund from the National Health Insurance Authority to all Members of Parliament to support the health sector in their respective constituencies. Each MP was given GHS30, 000.00 in this respect," the statement said. It said the purchase of the ambulance could have passed through tender for a better deal "but this did not happen, the reason for our predicament." "We would like to know whether the vehicle is being operated as a private commercial business or not. This is because the MP handpicked his personal driver to be the driver of the ambulance without consulting the management of the hospital," according to the statement. Reacting to the story, Mr. Ampaabeng Kyeremeh Bossman, Sunyani West Constituency Secretary of the NPP, dismissed the allegations "as a calculated attempt to discredit the New Patriotic Party and the administration of the MP. He said the MP never requested churches and mosques at Nsoatre to pay GHS200.00 each for the maintenance of the vehicle and is not aware of any levy imposed on the religious bodies. "The MP is even not aware of the situation or the current condition of the vehicle since he donated it", Mr Bossman said. He explained that Mr Baffour-Awuah in February last year presented some street bulbs to the Nsoatre Traditional Council and the Sanaahene, Nana Amankwah Ababio, made a request to the MP for the provision of an ambulance for the people. He said the request was honoured by the MP on June 4 last year when he presented a used vehicle, valued at GHS25, 000.00, to be used as an ambulance at a durbar of chiefs and people at Nsoatre. After the presentation, the ambulance started conveying patients from the Nsoatre Health Centre on referral to the regional hospital in Sunyani at a cost of GHS15.00, being the agreed sum to be paid by each patient for the service. Mr Bossman said following a tip-off about the breakdown of the vehicle, the people enquired from Madam Augustina Kakro, the Medical Superintendent in charge of the health centre about the situation to which she explained the problem was with the tyres of the vehicle, which needed to be changed. He said the medical superintendent told him they were going to hold an end of year review meeting in January this year and "we were asked to attend it as a delegation would be sent to brief Nsoatre Traditional Council about the state of the ambulance." Mr. Bossman said at a meeting with the Council, presided by its acting president, Nana Asi Kwasi, to discuss the condition of the vehicle the council agreed that new tyres would be bought. "The tyres were bought and fixed the following day", he said, adding that the meeting also agreed that the vehicle be sent to Kumasi for other parts needed to be fixed. He said it was in Kumasi that it was detected that the gear box was damaged as a result of non-changing of oil and so there was the need to replace the gear box valued at GHS 1,500.00. Mr Bossman said it is this money that the Council is trying to raise that the NDC has come out to lie that all churches in Nsoatre have been levied to pay GHS 200.00 for the maintenance of the vehicle. He called for the reconstitution of the membership of the Interim Management Committee of the Nsoatre Health Centre as the members were NDC faithful who had remained on the committee since 1983 and whose activities were "thwarting and undermining the efforts of the NPP". Source: GNA