Some of the projects included the building of 60 libraries in deprived areas across all 10 regions in the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”j9SRKeq76eBLFVy853oQBYSeTxOj8ffo”]President Akufo-Addo had charged the Committee to generate the funds of its GH¢20 million budget for the programmes and projects from sponsorship by Corporate entities.

Explaining the situation to Citi News, Mr. Amankwah said the committee was however unable to execute these projects because the budgets submitted by various companies who were supposed to undertake them were too “huge”.

“All these proposals were brought by people we call consultants and we asked them to bring budgets so we analyse. The budget, as usual, was humongous. [They were] very huge budgets, and looking at our collection, we did not think we could use it. I think this time around, we were victims of our own success.”

He further explained that the company that submitted the proposal the construction of the libraries left the country before work could start on the project.

“We could not construct the libraries…It was a proposal that was brought by West Blue consortium who were formerly a digital company. The company unfortunately left and its work was taken over by another company but the company that came in was not interested in the proposal,” Mr. Amankwah explained.

Government was widely-criticized for setting the budget for the Independence Day celebrations at GH¢20 million, an amount many considered exorbitant.

Concerns were raised over government’s decision to spend so much on the celebration at a time when the country was struggling with huge levels of debt.

But the Nana Akufo-Addo-led administration clarified that the amount would be used for developmental projects over the period of a year and not necessarily spent on the actual celebration.

The planning committee further indicated that no public funds would be used for the projects, indicating that they would raise the money through sponsorship from corporate institutions.

A number of activities had been lined up for last year’s celebration, including a wreath-laying ceremony, a video documentary on Ghana’s Independence, an inter-schools debate competition, an innovative apps challenge, an international gospel concert, a public lecture and the independence day parade, among other things.

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By: Marian Ansah & Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghana@60 projects abandoned for lack of funds – C’ttee appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, Chairman of the Committee, Ken Amankwah said Mr. Moomen was even lucky to have received half payment for the concert because his budget was not approved.

[contextly_sidebar id=”nw3WZgr5SgGHD05157QPTXFSrWGf88xv”]“Every event organizer that we have had to do something for us we have to have him or her to sign a contract with us. Moomen never came to sign a contract. Now he is going round saying that we owe him, we don’t owe him anything because we never promised to pay him the amount he demanded.”

“Left with me alone he wouldn’t receive a penny or pesewa from the committee,” he added.

Chief Moomen had claimed that all efforts to retrieve the remaining GHc100, 000 he charged the Ghana@60 committee for the concert have proved futile despite several persistence.

But Mr. Amankwah who earlier said Chief Moomen’s budget was too high added that his committee had no formal agreement with the playwright.

He said the event sub-committee chairman, Lord Commey, who gave Chief Moomen the part payment was even sacked after they realized what he did.

“That was out of order. I don’t know was he [Moomen] told him [Lord Commey] and he was paid this amount. I told you I reprimanded him [Commey] because he had no right to pay this amount to Chief Moomen.”

Mr. Amankwa he also disclosed that the Wogbe Jeke team was sponsored by Key Soap hence there was no need charging the Ghana@60 Committee that huge amount for the concert.

“Chief Moomen was being sponsored by Key Soap so what he needed from us was a mere top up. If you are receiving sponsorship from somewhere, they pay all your budgetary allocation. So if you come to us, it’s just a top up. So if a corporate body asks you to submit account for them and you can’t bring that account then you start making excuses that because somebody didn’t pay you that’s why you couldn’t carry the programme. That is a very bad characterization,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Chief Moomen who earlier told Citi News he had a verbal agreement with the committee vowed to run to the court to have his money paid.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We don’t owe Chief Moomen anything – GH@60 Chairman appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Chief Moomen had complained that he has only been paid GHc100, 000 out of the GHc200, 000 he charged the committee.

But the Chairman of the Committee, Ken Amankwah said he had no formal agreement with the playwright.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Kv1UR48UfF4IJ2YbhHOVdS8c0FWiuXnP”]“For me the most curious thing was his claim that we don’t have a contract. On what basis was Wogbejeke advertised? It was in the newspapers, radio, over 500 invited guests came to the conference centre to watch the performance and we were given half of our money before the programme. So on what basis were we engaged if there was absolutely no contract,” Chief Moomen stated.

“So far as I am concerned, we had a verbal agreement, we presented them with an invoice, and we even presented them with a receipt for our first tranche of payment. It was their responsibility to give us as well as other performers or any other service providers a contract. So far as it wasn’t forth coming, we didn’t pursue it further because our concentration was on the activity,” he added.

There’s been a sour relationship between the playwright and the Chairman of the Committee with Chief Moomen lamenting that several efforts to retrieve the rest of his money had proved futile.

But Mr. Amankwah in a statement described the amount charged by the Wogbejeke crew as ‘whooping’ and added that Chief Moomen was even “lucky” to have received half payment.

Speaking to Citi News, Chief Moomen insisted that he provided receipts and invoices covering their cost and expenses to the committee and thus will use every legitimate means to retrieve the remaining GHc100, 000.

“He [Chairman of Ghana@60 committee] sounded as if they were chasing us to come and sign a contract and we were being elusive and that is absolutely not true. We engaged with the committee several times, there was so much happening at that time, I don’t know whether because of the numerous activities and the short period they had to organize it, I’m don’t think anybody who did anything for the committee around that independence period was given a formal written contract to which they signed, I stand to be corrected.”

“I was even sympathetic for them and I said maybe it was because of the overwhelming activities that they had to engage in that is why they couldn’t do things as correctly as they were supposed to do but that shouldn’t be our question to answer, so the burden shouldn’t be on us to provide the contract, it should actually should be on them. We were being treated like they were doing us a favour and for me that’s the most frustrating things. Remember it’s been four months. When I went to see the chairman he was a bit condescending and patronizing. So far as we are concerned we did the project, our bill is 200,000 and we are still left with 100,000 and we would explore whatever legitimate ways to get the rest of our money,” Chief Moomen added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post I had verbal agreement with Ghana@60 c’ttee – Chief Moomen appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Days after Chief Moomen claimed that the committee had refused to pay him the remaining amount he charged for the Wogbejeke performance in March, 2017, Mr. Amankwah responded that the committee had no official contract him and further described the fee charged as “whooping.”

Mr. Amankwah said Chief Moomen was even “lucky” to have received GHc100,000 from the committee.

[contextly_sidebar id=”jHJeCmp9iePvsxxff2Dh8mjFjrz1fOJv”]”What he failed to mention was his whopping budget of GHC3,355,000.00 that he delivered to the Committee. Admittedly, the budget was inclusive of Regional and International tours but even so, the local one night show of GHC213, 210 at the Banquet Hall in Accra was excessive! And this was a budget the Committee had to look at and take a decision bearing in mind our own limited outlay of GHC20 million for the entire year long celebrations. Chief Moomem was a young man in a hurry. Before we could examine the details in his budget, he had mounted the stage and the musical was performed without an agreed contract. This was against the Committee’s well laid down procedures of agreed terms of engagement for all entertainment events,” the statement added.

But Chief Moomen in a counter statement challenged Mr. Amankwah’s claims.

“‘He [Committee Chairman] claims, ‘Chief Moomen is a young man in a hurry. Before we could examine the details of his budget, he had mounted the stage and the musical was performed without an agreed contract.’ That is quite a curious claim. So on what basis was WogbeJeke advertised on radio, television, newspapers and social media as part of the official programme for the anniversary? On what basis were invitations sent out to people, including the Vice-President and Council of State, to come to the Conference Center on Friday 3rd March, 2017 at 6pm to watch the production? On what basis was the first 100,000ghc given to me for the programme? Yes I was not given a written contract, and I believe that no service provider for the anniversary celebrations was given one either. I , however, presented an invoice of 200,000ghc and a receipt covering the receipt of the first 100,000ghc,” added Chief Moomen.

Below is the full statement from Chief Moomen:

“Now that the Chairman of the committee has issued a response to my entreaties, I am now at liberty to put out the facts of the case. And I shall respond to his claims in greater detail.

1. He Claims our 213,000ghc budget to stage a WogbeJeke is whopping and excessive (The agreed amount was actually 200,000ghc) .

By whose standards? We produced a 2hr 30mins production with a cast and crew of 170 people. This was inclusive of all related production and technical costs- remunerations, rehearsals, sound, lights, set, props etc. The only thing we were given is the venue (which is actually the Conference Center and not the Banquet Hall as he claims). Our remunerations budget alone was over 100,000ghc ( eg. @ an average of 500ghc*150 people= 75,000. @ 2000ghc to 5000ghc to directors of various units of the production= 35,000. Our technical costs averaging 20,000ghc and other costs like rehearsals, refreshment, transportation, props, costumes, etc averaging 20,000ghc. I will usually have to spend about 150 to 160,000ghc on every production period.

So 200,00ghc charge for WogbeJeke is in no way excessive. Sir did you know Umoja charges 50,000 dollars for a performance of about 30 people and you still have to pay for all their technical costs. If I’m even to pay my cast and crew what they reasonably deserve for all the work they put into this, 300,000ghc will be my rate.

2.He claims, “Chief Moomen is a young man in a hurry. Before we could examine the details of his budget, he had mounted the stage and the musical was performed without an agreed contract.”

That is quite a curious claim. So on what basis was WogbeJeke advertised on radio, television, newspapers and social media as part of the official programme for the anniversary? On what basis were invitations sent out to people, including the Vice-President and Council of State, to come to the Conference Center on Friday 3rd March, 2017 at 6pm to watch the production?

On what basis was the first 100,000ghc given to me for the programme.? Yes I was not given a written contract, and I believe that no service provider for the anniversary celebrations was given one either. I , however, presented an invoice of 200,000ghc and a receipt covering the receipt of the first 100,000ghc.

3.He again claims, “But the moonshine of his presentation was the ruse that he had never been paid.” Now that is plainly not true. In my facebook post and in all my interviews I have always indicated that I was given half of the payment.

4.According to the Chairman, our budget is excessive because ten years ago, my own beloved lecturer Prof Martin Owusu put up plays for the 50th anniversary celebrations and didn’t charge that much. I won’t even bother to respond. It’s like walking into a boutique to buy a shirt and being told that it costs 200ghc only for you to claim that amount is excessive because you came to the shop ten years ago to buy a shirt that costs 20ghc.

5.He claims I was supposed to come for a budget hearing and I never turned up. That is also not true. I have availed myself to every single meeting that was required of me. Even after the performance, I have made several attempts to secure meetings. In fact, I have been to the seat of government these past months more than I have done in my entire life.

6.For the past four months I’ve been following up on this issue in what has been a really frustrating process. I have reached out to many people to intervene on our behalf with no results. My business indeed has been gravely affected. I finished my march shows with an amount of 56,000 to pay out which I have been trying to do. This debt has made it difficult for me to invest in my operations. I canceled my show in April because of the debts and was at the verge of cancelling my July show too. My angst and frustrations are very real sir. I’m in no way out of the woods. You may not care, but please don’t describe my sentiments as “ a contrived tearjerker”.”

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Ghana@60 committee claims ‘curious’ – Chief Moomen appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.