News:
January 21, 2016
Members of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC) had a shock of their lives when a Transport Officer at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ebo Hammond, who was scheduled to address the meeting mysteriously disappeared.
The PAC had met to consider the 2011, 2012 and 2013 audited reports of the Accountant-General on the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and was specially, considering some irregularities cited in the reports against the Ministry of Health and its Agencies when the incident happened.
The Ghana Health Services was faulted for not complying with the Procurement Act in the procurement of some vehicles worth GH₵10,458,000.
“We noted that 332 Great Wall pick-ups vehicles valued at GH₵10,458,000 were procured under hire purchase agreement with Auto-World without adherence to the provisions and regulations of the Public Procurement Act”, the Auditor-General stated in his 2011 audited report.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Appiah Denkyira who was called to answer to the query raised by the Auditor-General to the Committee said he had no knowledge about the issues on board and pleaded with the Committee to indulge the Transport Officer to speak on his behalf.
He then turned to call Mr. Hammond who was seated among the audience but to his surprise, he was nowhere to be found.
Ebo Hammond
He was later informed that Mr. Hammond had gone out to attend to nature’s call after complaining of having stomach upset. Mr. Denkyira then communicated same to the Committee.
But the Committee was not impressed with the response given by Mr. Denkyira.
“I think from the sentiments and the feeling I’m getting from my colleagues and the Director-General from the Ghana Health Service, the Transport Manager knew they were coming to do this – I think he was invited by his director and all of a sudden he is not available. The Procurement head is on pension and we did not summon him here. The Director-General doesn’t seem to be abreast fully with the happening. Like my colleague said the procurement infractions bother on criminality and we cannot sit here to rule on matters that in a way are criminal”.
“I am thinking colleagues, with your indulgence, if we were to handle this matter here because he can’t explain now, I will just suggest that we recommend that the Minister reports this matter to the Police immediately so that those involved will be apprehended and then the Police and the Attorney-General will prepare the proper charges against them and they will explain their conduct and the infractions to the court that may give a ruling on what sanctions they can have. Other than that we can’t resolve this matter”, Chairman of the PAC, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu ruled.
But the Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia pleaded with the Committee to give the Transport Manager a second chance since he was present at the meeting but had to attend to nature’s call after suffering stomach upset.
“Mr. Chairman, I will plead with your indulgence to give him the benefit of the doubt because he had a stomach problem and had to go out”, he noted.
The Committee after reasoning with the Minister for Health directed that the then Head of the Procurement Unit of the Ghana Health Service who is on pension be summoned to appear before the Committee to respond to the query raised by the Auditor-General.
The Minister was further directed to bring along Mr. Ebo Hammond, to come and respond to procurement issues raised in the report.