Government has blacklisted companies indicted in the corruption scandal that hit the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), which includes big names like Zoomlion and RLG.
This was announced by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Haruna Iddrisu on Friday when he visited the Youth Employment Agency.
[contextly_sidebar id=”jOaRR33SkQXdrkNmVbDS9CFq6pYAb2IO”]Though he did not mention the companies involved, Haruna Iddrisu said government has decided to blacklist all the companies in a move to serve as a deterrent and to curb corruption in the country.
He also revealed that per the directive, those companies will not get new contracts with the YEA programme.
GYEEDA, a social intervention programme aimed at providing employable skills to the youth in the country recorded some shady deals in its hay days.
Government later ordered an investigation into the matter and changed the name into the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).
Currently, the former GYEEDA boss, Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit, Chief Executive Officer of Goodwill International Group, one of the companies contracted to provide services for the programme is facing the full rigorous of the law for their roles in the corruption scandal.
Haruna Iddrisu also restated the position of government in pursing the indicted companies to have them return the monies siphoned back to the state.
President Dramani Mahama while speaking an anti-corruption forum recently said government has retrieved a total of GHc38.9 million from corrupt officials who looted state funds.
He further charged the Attorney General “to recover the outstanding balance of about 40.5 million from the said companies by the close of this year.”
According to Citi News’ Richard Dela Sky who was with the Minister at the YEA premises, Haruna Iddrisu also said over 100,000 youth are expected to benefit from the YEA programme.
Haruna Iddrisu according to Dela Sky also announced that government is rolling out a new community improvement programme for the YEA to recruit the youth to render various services in CHPS compounds across the nation.
Background to GYEEDA corruption scandal
Some companies including waste and sanitation giant, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, IT company RLG, Better Ghana Management service limited, among others were contracted to render services under various modules for the GYEEDA programme; which metamorphosed from the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).
GYEEDA which was a public initiative targeted at youth development however failed to achieve its purpose as it was charaterised by shady deals and corruption related activities.
Following reports of siphoning of state funds, government in 2012 ordered for an investigation into activities of GYEEDA and subsequently terminated the contracts with the various companies.
Former GYEEDA boss, Abuga Pele and Philip Assibit were later hauled before court for the various roles in the corruption in the programme.
–
By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana