The Committee had its mandate extended after it failed to meet the initial deadline of 24^th January.

[contextly_sidebar id=”LugIEySPdBDoxXoZmuuAnQ5Z9opzaeVl”]The five-member Committee was set up on the 5^th of January, after an urgent sitting of Parliament, where Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak, and North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleged that expatriates businessmen were made to pay to sit close to the President during the Ghana Expatriates Business Awards ceremony.

The Committee held four public hearings and a few in-camera sessions that featured all parties named in the allegation, and those who made the allegation.

MP for Adenta, Yaw Buaben Asamoah, who speaks for the Committee, told Citi News that they have gathered enough information to allow them to present a fair and accurate report to the House.

“All has come to an end we are grateful to God that we appear to have collected sufficient information. The Committee will now to go the backroom, sit down and sift through the evidence and go through the business of report and we hope to meet the deadline” he said.

Ghana may lose investors over cash-for-seat probe

The Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, expressed fears that the ‘cash for seat’ scandal could threaten Ghana’s attempts to mobilize investments from the international community.

In his concluding statement when he appeared before the committee probing the matter, Mr. Kyerematen said Ghana’s reputation risked incurring serious damage because of the allegations that his Ministry charged expatriates to sit by the President at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards (GEBA) in December 2017.

Background of “cash for seat” saga

The Ministry of Trade, which partnered the event organizers, Millennium Excellence Foundation, is alleged to have charged between $25,000 and $100,000, to enable expatriates to sit close to the President at the awards ceremony.

The allegation was first made by the Minority Chief Whip, Muntaka Mubarak in Parliament in December 2017.

Mr. Mubarak said the fees charged at the Ghana Expatriate Business Awards were not approved by Parliament, adding that the monies were also not accounted for in the Internally Generated Funds [IGF] of the Ministry’s accounts.

The allegation was further reinforced by Mr. Ablakwa, who suffered verbal assaults from Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Carlos Ahenkorah over the matter.

The Ministry of Trade said it played no role in determining prices for seats at the event, and clarified that it only facilitated the implementation of a new initiative by the Millennium Excellence Foundation.

But the Ministry after an order from the President to probe the matter clarified that an amount of GHc2, 667,215 was realized from the event. This was made known only after the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had asked the Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, to investigate the matter and report to him.

The organizers of the Awards had also explained that no one paid to sit close to the President, and that the amount was raised from sponsorship through a fundraising at the event.

Parliament subsequently formed a five-member bi-partisan committee to investigate the matter.

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By: Duke Mensah Opoku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He assured that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration under Nana Akufo-Addo will set in motion a solid foundation for the country’s socio-economic development, as captured in the party’s manifesto, and further called on chiefs, donor partners and all stakeholders to partner government’s development agenda.

Ameyaw Cheremeh was addressing the Sunyani Traditional Council on Friday to officially introduce the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the area, Evelyn Kumi Richardson to the council in Sunyani.

He explained that with the introduction of the decentralization concept, the power to initiate and develop an area in the country now depends mostly on the assemblies, and therefore tasked the MCE to liaise and cooperate with the chiefs for support to execute development interventions in the Municipality.

The MCE on her part, expressed gratitude to the chiefs for the warm reception and support accorded her during her confirmation, and pledged to cooperate with them in the development of the municipality.

She encouraged them to put her on her toes by drawing her attention when things are going out of hand in the discharge of her duties.

Evelyn Kumi Richardson pledged to operate an open door policy to promote sustainable development through the many social interventions by the NPP.

Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, Omanhene of Sunyani on behalf of the council, pledged their support to the MCE, noting the development of Sunyani was the topmost priority of the council.

He commended the MCE for her desire to operate an open door policy and tasked her to welcome all constructive criticisms irrespective of the political differences she might have with the person.

The Omanhene further tasked the MCE to continue the execution of the Victoria Park and Civic Centre projects initiated by her predecessor to save the country’s investment, and drew attention to major roads in the municipality that need serious attention.

The MCE and her entourage later paid a courtesy call on the Regional Chief Imam, and on behalf of the President presented 10 bags of rice, sugar and an undisclosed amount of money to Muslims in the Municipality to assist with their fast.

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By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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