Mr. Pelpuo said this to highlight what he called double standards exhibited by the NPP on matters pertaining to corruption.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ecy8ZEusmml9w8fLzparxOVdfKIkeCfn”]Speaking on The Big Issue as the world marked International Anti-Corruption Day, the MP made reference to President Nana Akufo-Addo’s endorsement of the founder of the Jospong Group of Companies, Joseph Siaw Agyepong.

He reminded the NPP that it had accused the National Democratic Congress, when it was in power, of “dealing with Zoomlion [which is owned by Jospong] in ways that they deemed were corrupt.”

“After all these condemnations of the NDC’s dealings with Zoomlion and then sending out a journalist to prove it and the journalist comes with some proof. At the same time, the one who led the campaign against us [the NDC] and against corruption, citing Zoomlion and ourselves as being corrupt came to say, I am praising this man.”

NPP lacking ‘moral grounds’

Mr. Pelpuo said the simple explanation for this turn of events was that President Akufo-Addo “no longer sees corruption now that he is in the seat and he can no longer see Zoomlion as the corrupt [company] they saw [in opposition].”

The NPP preached numerous anti-corruption messages en route to winning the 2016 elections and according to a number of observers, the government seems to be fulfiling some of the promises it made in that regard.

Parliament recently passed the Special Prosecutor Bill which will open what is hoped to be a non-partisan avenue for probing and prosecuting allegations of corruption within the government structure and beyond.

The NPP has sent out signals to the effect that it will go after corrupt officials within the past NDC government but Mr. Pelpuo held that the NPP government is incapable of following through with such pledges.

“I am just waiting to see them call any NDC man to say, you are going to court because they don’t have the moral ground to do so,” the NDC MP stated.

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Nana Addo now ‘blind’ to corruption – Pelpuo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The issue was brought under the spotlight on The Big Issue after the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo’s assertion during the week that the President must not be seen to be condoning acts of corruption, which Jospong has been accused of.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9OuA4QIEM5rm88R99SKfPd3MVZs57t8A”]Mindful of the fact Jospong has not been indicted for any acts of corruption, Mr. Casely-Hayford said the mere fact a shadow hangs over the operations of Jospong should have compelled the President to keep his distance from the company.

“…So when my President gets up and goes to a facility of someone who is suspected of not having done business in a proper manner and you go and stand in his facility, the fact that you are there gives it an endorsement. You are endorsing the man’s operations. That for me is a complete no no. You don’t do things like that.”

According to him, Ghana is “too fond of trying to cover up and trying to give the coverups that we do [different names] and the stark reality is that people are involved in stealing monies and we like to give it different labels in order to make it look like something more than that. We call it corruption instead of calling it stealing, which is what it is.”

Zoomlion and GYEEDA scandal

Some of Jospong’s dealings with the government have been subject to suspicion following the revelation of scandals involving companies under its umbrella.

Of personal concern to Mr. Casely-Hayford is the handling of the malfeasance at the erstwhile Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA).

Some companies, including Jospong’s Zoomlion Ghana, were engaged to render services to the country under the social intervention programme which has undergone a number of transformations over the years, and is now called the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) .

The YEA recently directed Zoomlion to furnish it with a database of some 45,000 beneficiaries under the agency’s sanitation module amid concerns over ghost names.

Following reports of mismanagement of state funds, the government in 2012 tasked a committee to investigate the activities of GYEEDA.

Though Jospong maintains its innocence in the matter, the investigative Committee’s report stated that Zoomlion acquired as much GHc500 from government to be given to each worker under the programme but only paid them GHc100, keeping the rest for itself.

Zoomlion lobbied the Minister of Local Government to increase their rates from GHc350 to GHc500 per beneficiary, but GHc400 of the money stayed with Zoomlion as management fees.

The Committee’s analysis of a schedule provided by Zoomlion to support the management fees highlighted serious value for money issues.

No action on petition to CHRAJ

In November 2013, Mr. Casely Hayford petioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) after in the investigations into GYEEDA were completed because he felt the committee had not done a thorough job.

But five years on, and numerous reminders later, he said he is yet to get a response from CHRAJ.

“My petition to CHRAJ was based on the conclusion of the committee’s report which said it didn’t have enough time to complete the investigations and they were not able to into the regions and the districts,” he recalled.

“I petitioned CHRAJ and said go and carry on the investigation and run it to its formal conclusion… every month I send them a letter reminding them that they have not responded to my petition complete the investigation on the GYEDA thing and they never say anything and they never reply.”

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Nana Addo wrong to endorse ‘suspicious’ Jospong – Casely Hayford appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The (1000 m3/day) project is expected to begin this December, and completed in the middle of 2019, at an estimated cost of about seven million euros, with additional 4.5 million euros for solid waste recycling plant.

When completed, the facility, which will be the first of its kind in the region, will treat all the liquid waste generated by the about 3 million residents in Kumasi and its surrounding areas.

Currently, liquid waste generated within the region is discharged into open water bodies due to the lack of a facility to treat it.

An agreement for the commencement and execution of the project was signed last Friday by the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Joseph Siaw Agyapong, and the Chief Executive Officer of Pureco, Balint Horvath.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Akyea, witnessed the signing of the MoU between the two organisations.

The facility will be managed by the Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited (SSGL), an engineering, construction and procurement specialist subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies that focuses on the provision of efficient liquid waste treatment technologies.

Project component

The Managing Director SSGL, Haidar Said, said the project would be funded by the Hungarian Exim Bank, with the support of the Hungarian government, and financial contribution from the Jospong Group.

“The MoU we have signed today is for the first phase of the project, which includes designing and construction of sewage septic waste facility in Kumasi,” he said.

Mr. Said noted that, the facility was part of the measures being put in place by the company to properly manage waste in all the 10 regions of Ghana.

He said immediately the Kumasi facility is completed, there would be a process to commence other facilities at Tamale and Takoradi in the Northern and Western Regions respectively.

Mr. Said explained that the facility in Kumasi would have about 40 per cent capacity compared to the Lavendar Hill Treatment Plant which is owned by the same company.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Pureco Limited, Balint Horvath, said his company specializes in design and construction of Sewerage and waste water treatment plants, as well as solid waste recycling plants.

Apart from that, he said the company, which has a lot of international exposure was also into the construction of drinking water treatment facility in various capacities.

Touching on the facility in Kumasi, Mr. Horvath said it would be constructed in a way that would help treat liquid waste generated, adding that the company intends to use the best of materials to come out with a modern waste facility.

“Right now, we are ready to begin the necessary process to begin work and we intend to complete it on schedule,” he added.

In his remarks, the Minister of Works and Housing, Samuel Atta Kyea, lauded the initiative and expressed hope that the project would help address liquid waste situation in Kumasi.

The on the construction of the seven million euros sewage and waste water treatment plant is expected to begin this month, and completed in the middle of 2019.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Jospong to construct $11.5m wastewater treatment plant in Kumasi appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Group in a statement copied to citifmonline.com, said Accra-based Joy FM as well as other media platforms that carried the allegations, must apologize or risk being challenged to provide ample evidence to substantiate the claims.

It said the report is a calculated attempt to tarnish its image.

“On the face of the evidence, we deem the publication in question by the Joy FM and Manaseh Azuri Awuni as malicious and calculated to tarnish the hard-won reputation of the Jospong Group, the Chief Executive and its subsidiaries.”

“Accordingly, we call on Joy FM and its sister stations to retract the defamatory statements made against the Jospong Group and the Chief Executive of the Jospong Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, within three days upon receipt of this rejoinder, failing which the company may be constrained to take any further action that it deems appropriate without further recourse to the Multimedia Group,” it said.

A report on Joy FM earlier this week indicated that Universal Plastic Product and Recycling Ltd, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, and four other firms all belonging to the Jospong group, had overpriced a contract to supply 1 million waste bins and 900,000 packs of disposable bin liners to the country by about Ghc130 million.

The report said the company sold each of the 240litre bin to the state at GH¢258 when an invoice from the same company showed that the actual price was GH¢135.

The directive to supply the bins was given by the Office of the President at the time, through sole sourcing procurement method.

Responding to the specific claim of bloated cost, it said, the “agreement is a Pre Financing and Credit Sale contract. The total number of waste bins to be supplied under the initiative is 1,000,000 at a supply rate of $60 per piece (to be paid at the prevailing Bank of Ghana interbank exchange rate) plus 900,000 (nine hundred thousand) pieces of Biodegradable Bin Liners at $15.60 per piece ”

“The total contract sum of 74,040,000 United States Dollars was to be pre financed by the companies, which therefore allowed the Government of Ghana flexibility payment terms for a period of 24 months. Definitely a cash sale has different terms as compared to a credit sale.

i. Further to the production cost involved in the above, a major component of the contract is the transportation and distribution of the bins to households within the 216 districts in Ghana by the companies involved which has additional cost implications, and same was factored into the pricing. ii. It should be noted, contrary to claims, the bins are durable; coming with a replacement warranty and a competitive price to the international market price.”

Read excerpts of the company’s statement below:

Allegation of payment of the contract sum.

i. It must be placed on record that none of the five companies has supplied any item under the contract and neither has any payment been made by the Ministry of Local Government to the said companies.

3. The reports and statements in the Multimedia Group, authored by Manasseh Azure Awuni, to the effect that the contract price has been inflated in excess of one hundred and thirty million Ghana cedis (GH¢130,000,000.00) is, therefore, grossly misleading and unfortunate to say the least. Clearly, there was no wrong doing in the procurement or award of the contract.

4. Splashing pictures of waste bins We wish to state categorically that the references made to waste bins in the district with pictures displayed online by Joy FM were meant to mislead the public that, because some assemblies have not distributed existing bins, there was no need for distributing the bins as required by the contract is unfortunate. It should be noted that, The One million Bins Distribution Programme is meant to ensure that households in Ghana have bins to enhance waste management, disposal and collection in all communities. Currently, the lack of such bins in houses is leading to poor waste disposal and indiscriminate dumping of waste generated daily.

On the face of the evidence, we deem the publication in question by the Joy FM and Manasseh Azuri Awuni as malicious and calculated to tarnish the hard-won reputation of the Jospong Group, the Chief Executive and its subsidiaries.

Accordingly, we call on Joy FM and its sister stations to retract the defamatory statements made against the Jospong Group and the Chief Executive of the Jospong Group, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, within three days upon receipt of this rejoinder, failing which the company may be constrained to take any further action that it deems appropriate without further recourse to the Multimedia Group. You may kindly contact the undersigned for further clarification

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post We didn’t inflate waste bin contract – Jospong Group appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The thanks-giving service, which came off at the forecourt of the Trade Fair Center, Accra, brought together representatives of several other companies outside the Jospong Group, including state officials.

Also present were President John Mahama, Dr. Ekow Spio Gabrah, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mona Quartey, Deputy Minister of Finance and other government officials.

In his speech, President Mahama reiterated his government’s commitment to continue to support private businesses.

This years’ service was on the theme: “Driving impactful Waste Management in Ghana and beyond”.

In an address, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Chairman of Zoomlion and Jospong Group of Companies, urged government to put the private sector on top of its priority list, to ensure sound economic growth.

He stated  that, “Our experiences have convinced us that the Ghanaian entrepreneur is capable of achieving world-class success across all sectors when adequately supported.”

Dr. Siaw Agyepong added that, the success of Zoomlion and Jospong Group, shows that the private sector is capable of ensuring the socio-economic development of the country if given the space to operate .

–

By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Jospong Group holds annual thanksgiving service appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.