'Invite MPs to tender board meetings'

Page 17, Feb 4, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah

SOME Members of Parliament (MPs) on Friday called on the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRDE) to compel District Chief Executives (DCEs) to invite MPs to District Tender Board (DTB) meetings.
They said even though MPs were legal members of the DTBs, some DCEs blatantly refuse to invite them to meetings.
The MPs were contributing to a statement made on the floor of the House by the MP for South Dayi, Dr Kwame Ampofo, calling on the ministry to ensure that DCEs complied with Section 18 of the Procurement Act (Act 663) which made MPs members of the board.
Although a Deputy Minister of the MLGRDE, Mr Maxwell Kofi Dwumah, replied that though the situation had not been brought before the ministry, all MPs who contributed to the ensuing debate urged the minister to bring DCEs to order.
The MP for New Edubiase, Mr Kofi Yakah, for example, told the House that he had once been sacked from a tender board meeting by his DCE.
Mr Dwumah, however, said since the District Tender Board Committee included MPs, there should be no reason why they should not be invited to such meetings.
“I wish to assure my honourable colleagues that if there are specific cases of such nature, they should be brought to the attention of the ministry and the necessary action will thus be taken,” he said.
Answering another question posed by the MP for Awutu Senya, Mr Oppey Abbey, Mr Dwumah told the House that the ministry was in contact with the Electoral Commission (EC) for the re-demarcation and creation of electoral areas, especially in the fast growing areas such as Weija, Adenta, Madina and Kasoa.
The MP had asked the minister why Kasoa, which had more than 100,000 inhabitants and a voter population of 44,000 had only one electoral area,
Mr Dwumah replied that though the demarcation and creation of electoral areas were the responsibilities of the EC, he was aware that new electoral areas would be created after the December elections.
For his part, the MP for Ketu South, Mr Albert Zigah, also wanted to know the state of the construction of the Aflao Lorry Park which served as the entry point to travellers entering the country through the South Eastern Gate.
The MP wondered why bitumen should be used for the rehabilitation of the station, instead of the pavement blocks, which were suitable for such projects.
Mr Dwumah said the first bitumen surfacing for the project was completed last December.
He explained that the second bitumen surfacing should have started but for a directive to the contractor to temporarily stop the project to allow vehicles entering the country through the Aflao corridor for the Africa Cup of Nations to move into the station to avoid congestion at the main border post.