{"id":359374,"date":"2017-10-05T20:04:26","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T20:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=359374"},"modified":"2017-10-05T20:04:26","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T20:04:26","slug":"new-masloc-boss-lying-to-tarnish-my-image-former-ceo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/10\/new-masloc-boss-lying-to-tarnish-my-image-former-ceo\/","title":{"rendered":"New MASLOC boss ‘lying’ to tarnish my image – Former CEO"},"content":{"rendered":"

The former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, has denied inflating the cost of vehicles meant for the\u00a0Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), opening up the state to some financial loss.<\/p>\n

Making her voice heard on the matter for the first time in a statement, Mrs.\u00a0Attionu said the claims against her were evidence of an agenda from the current MASLOC management to divert from its failings.<\/p>\n

[contextly_sidebar id=”VkMZlOmFlcKblZsiiC8XfYeAzORLt7J6″]”I refute in no uncertain terms these spurious and baseless allegations intended to tarnish my tenure as CEO of MASLOC.\u00a0 I am happy that some officials of the GPRTU have spoken out, of their own volition, to refute the lies of the NPP administration, Mrs.\u00a0Attionu asserted.<\/p>\n

The Statesman Newspaper had first reported that the 100 Chevrolet Spark vehicles, 150 Chevrolet Aveo vehicles and 100 Izusu buses, had been “left at the mercy of the weather” after GPRTU refused to buy them at the excessive prices.<\/p>\n

According to the current MASLOC administration, its checks had revealed that the cars which were\u00a0being sold for $9,000 in the showrooms of MAC Auto & Spare Parts, had been purchased at a cost of about $16, 000 per vehicle from the same company resulting in a reported loss of about $2 million.<\/p>\n

But in her side of the story, Mrs.\u00a0Attionu narrated that this process started as far back as May 20, 2016, after the GPRTU requested MASLOC to assist the Union financially to acquire vehicles for their members to replace the old and rickety ones on the roads.<\/p>\n

According to her, GPRTU were already in talks with MAC Auto & Spare Parts (Gh) Limited for the supply of some vehicles as follows: “(price is per unit without VAT and NHIL): 100 Chevrolet Spark LITE @ $13,850.00; 150 Chevrolet Aveo @ $15,850.00; 100 IZUZU HB-208 @ $94,800.00.”<\/p>\n

She said it was agreed with the supplier that the quoted prices would be converted to the cedis at a rate of GH\u00a24.0 to the dollar.”<\/p>\n

After discussion, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the parties on June 8, 2016, followed by a supplementary\u00a0MoU on August 2, 2016, stating that “MASLOC would make a 30% down payment with the balance paid in equal quarterly installments over a period of twenty-four (24) months.”<\/p>\n

The Memorandum by GPRTU on the Acquisition of the Vehicles from MAC Auto and Spare Parts Limited, financed by MASLOC, was signed on August 11, 2016, by their National & Regional Executive and MASLOC. A pricing schedule\/ re-payment plan was discussed and accepted.<\/p>\n

The negotiations stalled after the National Democratic Congress lost the 2016 elections, and the GPRTU was forced to restart negations with the new management of MASLOC after the New Patriotic Party government was sworn into office in January 2017.<\/p>\n

Divided GPRTU<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is however conflicting information coming from the GPRTU, with its General Secretary, Alhaji Issa Khalifah, claiming the new management of MASLOC inflated the cost of the cars, whiles the Union\u2019s Chairman, Kwame Kuma, said the Union had agreed with MASLOC to purchase the cars at the same amount agreed upon under the previous government.<\/p>\n

Issa Khalifah said the Aveo Salon car was given to the union at GH\u00a256,000, the Spark at GH\u00a255,000, and the bus at GH\u00a2380,000.<\/p>\n

But he claims the new management priced the Aveo at GH\u00a2 72,000, the Spark at GH\u00a2 61,000 and the bus at GH\u00a2 445,000.<\/p>\n

The GPRTU Chairman, however, said prices being offered by the current government were the same offered under Mrs. Attionu’s management.<\/p>\n

Current management’s failings<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mrs.\u00a0Attionu\u00a0asserted that, the vehicles lay abandoned not because the GPRTU rejected them, but because “the new management of MASLOC has failed or refused to proceed with the processes towards handing over the vehicles to the GPRTU members.”<\/p>\n

She said the \u201conus lay on the current CEO, Mr. Stephen Amoah, to continue the GPRTU project in a seamless manner and take credit for the project, if he so desired.\u201d<\/p>\n

But\u00a0Mrs.\u00a0Attionu claims that, Mr. Amoah is out to\u00a0tarnish her tenure at MASLOC, and has been sidetracked by his agenda against her.<\/p>\n

“Having been caught pants down, he now seeks to lay blame on my tenure by concocting stories of vilification,” she said in her statement.<\/p>\n

Find below the full statement<\/strong><\/p>\n

THE TRUE STORY OF JOHN MAHAMA\u2019S SUPPORT FOR THE GPRTU & PRIVATE TRANSPORTERS<\/p>\n

Since exiting office as the Chief Executive of MASLOC on January 7, 2017, several spurious allegations and fabricated stories have been levelled against my tenure. Some of the claims are so bizarre, one wonders how seemingly productive thought processes were harnessed to put together such outrageously and palpably false figments of imagination.<\/p>\n

Over the last few days, the new CEO of MASLOC aided by one Gabby Okyere Darko using the Statesman newspaper and his personal social media handles, have been out and about claiming that three hundred and fifty (350) vehicles acquired by MASLOC have been left abandoned because their intended beneficiaries, the GPRTU, have rejected them since the former management and government inflated the cost of the vehicles to US$2million.<\/p>\n

I refute in no uncertain terms these spurious and baseless allegations intended to tarnish my tenure as CEO of MASLOC.\u00a0 I am happy that some officials of the GPRTU have spoken out, of their own volition, to refute the lies of the NPP administration.<\/p>\n

Our politics cannot be allowed to continue to be tele-guided by lies and misrepresentations by the followers of the Danquah-Busia tradition.\u00a0 We should do away with such negative and nation-wrecking political manipulations and concentrate, as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and especially H.E. John Dramani Mahama demonstrated, on nation building, consistent transformation of our economy and tackling our infrastructural deficit in a manner that will ensure the sustained development of our motherland.<\/p>\n

Far from being abandoned because the GPRTU rejected them, the vehicles procured by the NDC\u2019s John Mahama administration through MASLOC are still where they are because after the handing over of the administration of Government and MASLOC, on January 7, 2017, the new management of MASLOC has failed or refused to proceed with the processes towards handing over the vehicles to the GPRTU members.<\/p>\n

As Government is a continuum as evidenced by the commissioning of several of President Mahama\u2019s Projects by President Nana Akufo Addo, the onus lay on the current CEO, Mr. Stephen Amoah, to continue the GPRTU project in a seamless manner and take credit for the project, if he so desired.<\/p>\n

However, vilification of my tenure has so consumed him that in pursuing that agenda he has failed to stay focused on his job and has ended up exhibiting gross negligence and dereliction of duty. Having been caught pants down, he now seeks to lay blame on my tenure by concocting stories of vilification.<\/p>\n

Had the Statesman reporter followed basic journalistic ethics by verifying his information with me before publication, he would have realized that his report was inaccurate. However, it seems clear that the story was published with the sole aim of ridiculing and tarnishing my tenure and that of the entire Management and staff of MASLOC who served during that period.<\/p>\n

MASLOC was governed by a Board comprising persons of high moral character and repute and was chaired by a seasoned Chartered Accountant.<\/p>\n

As a professional with over twenty-five years working experience in both the Private and Public Sector, I served my country to the best of my ability with competence, integrity and humility.<\/p>\n

\u2713 I urge the general public to disregard the irresponsible and bogus publications by the Daily Guide and Statesman Newspapers.<\/p>\n

\u2713 I urge the general public to treat with contempt the reckless, foolhardy comments and tweets by Ibrahim Adjei and Gabby Asare Okyere Darko, both of the Presidency.<\/p>\n

\u2713 I urge the general public to treat with scorn the pathetic, fallacious, unprofessional gibberish of Stephen Amoah (CEO of MASLOC) and Maame Afua Akoto (Deputy CEO of MASLOC), which they continue to spew forth.<\/p>\n

BELOW ARE SOME FACTS ON THE MASLOC\/GPRTU PROJECT AS WELL AS THE ACQUISITION OF TRICYCLES FOR MASLOC:<\/p>\n

MASLOC\/GPRTU Collaboration<\/p>\n

On October 3, 2017, a publication by the Statesman Newspaper sought to impugne wrongdoing and corruption to my tenure as CEO of MASLOC, with the caption \u201c$2M INFLATED CAR DEAL AT MASLOC \u2013 GPRTU snub leaves 350 cars rotting\u201d with my picture and that of a car on the front page of the newspaper stating categorically that vehicles purchased for the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) amounted to US$2,000,000 and as such GPRTU had refused to take up the vehicles for utilization by their members.<\/p>\n

This was followed by a Facebook post and Twitter Tweet by Gabby Asare Okyere Darko (of UN General Assembly fame), \u201cThis is how govt wastes ya money as tax payer.\u00a0 In 2016, paid $16,000 each for 100 cars when it sells for $9,000 retail\u201d with a photo of the said publication.<\/p>\n

My attention has also been drawn to \u2018negative\u2019 radio interviews granted by the current CEO of MASLOC, Mr. Stephen Amoah, and the Deputy CEO of MASLOC, Maame Afua Akoto.<\/p>\n

Find below the facts of the MASLOC\/GPRTU Project:<\/p>\n