Monday, December 12, 2016

ALBAN GBABIN COVERS UP CORRUPTION



SYNOPSIS:
1.       Several allegations were leveled against the Managing Director (Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah) by two directors of the Company. (i.e. Director of Administration,  Mr. Henry Aidoo and Director of Finance, Mr. Stephen Armaah) and a petition was made to the Board of Directors, The Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing and the Presidency.

2.       Pursuant to that the Office of the President ordered the Sector Minister to conduct an investigation into the matter.

3.       Subsequently, the Managing Director, the Director of Administration, and the Director of Finance were all asked to proceed on leave in December, 2010 to allow unimpeded investigation to be conducted.

4.       The Minister sometime in February, 2011 during the course of the investigations visited the office of the SHC and met with workers at a durbar. He informed them that after the investigation the report will be sent to H.E. John Evans Atta Mills, President of the Republic of Ghana, for advice and further action.

5.       Contrary to the aforesaid a letter dated 27th May, 2011 from the Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, MP Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing directed the Board Chairman (Mr. Steve Akuffo) to recall the Managing Director (Mr. Mark Ankrah) to duty. Because the investigation has been completed and the report duly submitted.  But the said letter failed to state the fate of the other two directors (.i.e. Director of Administration, Mr. Henry Aidoo and Director of Finance, Mr. Stephen Armaah)

6.       The two Directors were by a letter dated 8th June, 2011 signed by the Managing Director, Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah pursuant to a letter also dated 8th June, 2011, from the Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, MP and Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing directed the Director of Administration, Mr. Henry Aidoo and Director of Finance, Mr. Stephen Armaah to report at the Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing for re-assignment.

7.       This directive was contrary to what the Minister told the staff at the durbar aforesaid as well as the recommendations made in the report.

8.       This move by the Minister with the full consent of the Board is only geared to allow Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah cover up his corrupt acts, namely; 

a.       Sale of House No. 40 North Labone, which belongs to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning as legitimate owners, to a private person (one Justice Hammond). And indeed upon resumption of duty the Managing Director has been seen working feverishly on the property file to cover up the SYNDICATE referred to in the Ministerial Report. 

b.      The sale of a plot of land at North Kaneshie to Tonbico Pharmacy, which plot of land is a matter of dispute between the SHC and DIC.

c.       The double sale of land at Frafraha, Adentan firstly to one Alhaji Amin Tijani and his wife and then to MR. LOVELANCE DENNIS and his wife MRS. HOOGENBOOM DENNIS, has resulted in a court suit pending at the High Court, Land Division, Accra, intutiled;

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
LAND DIVISION
ACCRA
SUIT NO. FAL/253/
MR. LOVELANCE DENNIS & MRS. HOOGENBOOM DENNIS                             

VRS.

1. ALHAJI AMIN TIJANI
2. HAJIA FARZIYYA TIJANI                                    
3. STATE HOUSING COMPANY                     
 4. LANDS COMMISSION                                
         
d.      Conflict of interest on the part of the Managing Director (Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah) who tried to smuggle his private Company Phf Ltd. a Housing and Estate Development Company, where he is still the Chief Executive Officer (i.e. Director and Shareholder) to partner SHC (also a Housing and Estate Development Company) in business. Mr. Ankrah admitted before Hon. Hannah Bessiew, Deputy Minister of Water Resourses, Works and Housing, when the matter came up in 2010 that he conceded that it was an administrative lapse that he did not resign his post as Director of Phf.Ltd before taking up the post of Managing Director of SHC.

He further employed one Kenneth William Adokoh who is the Mgr. Strategy and Policy Implementation of Phf Ltd to work and drew salary at SHC.

e.       Personally accepting cheques contrary to the financial procedure of SHC for the transfer of property which later bounced on presentation at the Bank when indeed he had long before granted the consent of SHC to the transferee.

f.       The Managing Director (Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah) on several occasions maintained that he cannot be removed from office by anyone. This is so because he has links with the Ahowi brothers, whom he sold a plot of land at Dansoman belonging to SHC to their sister to operate her preparatory School (MAY DAY MONTESSORI AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL), the said plot of land has been a long standing issue as to the exact ownership, and a lot of gurus in the ruling NDC and a lot of high profile government officials.

9.       Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah is well known in the corridors of the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, soon after establishing his Phf. Ltd, soliciting for contracts and his intention of propagating his so called “Social Housing”.

10.     When the position of Managing Director became vacant in 2008, after the Managing Director, Mr. Kwaku Sarpong, (deceased) went on retirement, He lobbied for the position under the then NPP administration but was not successful.

11.     It was only when the NDC took over the administration of the state and during the tenure of Hon. Albert Abongo as Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing, that the Board of SHC choose to appoint without due process.

12.     Again, on an application for consent to use a leased property of SHC as collateral for a loan or mortgage from any financial institution will attract a percentage fee (1% to 2.5%) on the amount being sought by the lessee. This is clearly inconsistent with the Mortgage Decree.

13.     All these and more were part of the allegations leveled against the Managing Director (Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah) which the Minister and the Board have tried to sweep under the carpet.

14.     The resumption of duty of the Managing Director (Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah) has caused fear and panic among staff of the SHC who especially were against his style of leadership and his corrupt acts. In fact he has started asking some staff to go on leave contrary to section 27 of the Labour Act, 651, 2003.

15.     Staff  have been warned by the Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, MP and Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing that if they do not cooperate and work with the Managing Director (Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah) and go on to agitate then the Company would be put on divestiture or closed down. Anybody caught leaking information to the Press or intends to agitate will be dealt with.
         
PLEA OF MAJORITY OF STAFF

1.       The humble wish of majority of Staff is for President John Evans Atta Mills to SET ASIDE the Ministerial Report dated May, 2011 and institute a fresh investigation to be conducted by an independent body beside the Board and the Ministry. This will unravel THE CORRUPT ACTS perpetrated by the Managing Director (Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah). Workers believe that the Minister did not tell the President the whole truth.

2.       Substantial evidence were deliberately overlooked by the investigating Committee, and more have been discovered, and if same is tendered for scrutiny will manifest the truth about the corrupt acts aforesaid.

3.       The threats of closure or otherwise of SHC by Hon. Alban S.K. Bagbin, MP and Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing to the effect that if workers who are about 120 in number, nationwide, do not cooperate and work with the Managing Director, Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah is most unfortunate.

4.       Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah is now running State Housing Co. Ltd like his Phf. Ltd creating opportunities for his partners and friends to benefit financially from the vast resources in terms of land to acheive their cooperate agenda, which they can not as private firms.

5.       If the Minister and the President believes Mr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah is as competent as they claim, then Mr. Mark Ankrah should be redeployed or appointed at the Ministry of Water Recourses Works and Housing to help the NDC government solve the Housing deficit problem or the confusion over the STX deal.