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In August 2020, I wrote to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to request, among others, how much it cost Ghana to undertake the fumigation and disinfection of markets in order to curb the spread of Covid-19. The ministry responded swiftly.
In a letter dated August 25, 2020 and signed by the sector minister Hajia Alima Mahama, the Ministry said it spent Ghc 76, 561,681.06 for Phase One of the exercise and another Ghc 76, 561,681.06 for Phase Two of the exercise.
This means the Ministry spent Ghc 153,123,361 on the two exercises.
The ministry later conducted Phase Three of the exercise.
The ministry added that, for Phase Two of the exercise, there was a “variation being processed for additional cost on public toilets.”
What this means is that the cost of Phase Two was going to be higher than that of Phase One.
The ministry had awarded the contract and completed Phase Two of the exercise a month before I wrote the letter. But it did not tell me how much was being added to the cost of Phase Two.
This is not the only anomaly in the figures the ministry gave me.
When the Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, presented the supplementary budget to parliament on July 23, 2020, he said the government had spent GHc122 million, being “allocation from Budget to support Fumigation and management of landfill sites.”
The GHc 122 million the finance minister presented on only Phase One is close to the total cost of Phase One and Phase Two that the ministry gave me.
I wrote again to the ministry in September 2020 for an explanation on why its figure was lower than the one presented by the finance minister. According to the Right to Information Law based on which the request was made, the ministry was supposed to have responded to my request within 14 days.
Our estimates from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development show that about 500 million cedis was spent by the two ministries on this needless and fraudulent exercise. Other ministries also engaged in their own fumigation and disinfection exercise.
Assemblies that had the capacity to carry out their own disinfection were asked to stop so that Zoomlion would do it at additional costs.
These and other compelling details are contained in this investigative documentary. It provides compelling evidence of how the Covid-19 spraying projects in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Education ended up being a waste of state resources. The sprayings were initiated by President Akufo-Addo.
Watch the full documentary below:
The Covid-19 spraying scandal initiated by president Akufo-Addo
Where did we go wrong in Ghana to have such heartless, greedy and selfish leaders in this country?
All they think about is how to dip their hands into public coffers. Things are getting worst by the day and nothing is been done.
My heart bleeds for this country
Sir, the average Ghanaian is prohibitively corrupt.
Something no one talks about
This is scandalous and unpatriotic
Your comment could not have been any better.
Corruption on its own is an undeclared pandemic of Africa
Our leaders should start thinking about how to tackle it
A pandemic that benefits you more when you’re in public office. Yet we expect leadership to do something about it?? No way it’s going to happen. They’ll enjoy and continue to enjoy. It serves them well
You want our leaders to tackle corruption? How is that possible? How can a thief catch a thief? The sad reality is that, the average Ghanaian is dishonest and corrupt, not just our leaders!
Hmmmm….I don’t blame this corrupted President Ghanaians choosed….but I blame the people whose voice are to represent the masses and can be heard Also keeping quiet ?…. imagine if other journalist are to be standing for the truth like you’re always out for….how would things be worse like
Don’t you think we have created a platform that corrupts individuals?
It is really odd to be in public service and not be corrupt.
God save Ghana
Kofi it’s painful but we went from being patriotic to partisan and that’s the problem and reason why they have the freedom as politicians to milk us. The only savior we have now is to return from the land of partisan back to patriotic and we will be fine.
I think you’re right Kwame. They knew they have our backing in their quest to loot the nation, the reason why they careless these days. I wish we could have majority rational voters, like all these evil deeds will disappear.
….And with the need to backtrack from partisanship to patriotism comes the role of education and, for that matter, the teacher.
We should be able to vigorously pursue an education agenda which stresses the need to eschew tribalism and sectionalism right from the word, Go. For me, it is better to spend the next decade achieving (If need be) only this, and recalibrating our nation’s destiny from thence than to continue on this path.
It’s not enough to weep for this country. It is such a pity that these dreams of a clear conscientious populace might never be achieved in our lifetime. It’s so super sad!!
And teachers are turning out to be the worst politicians.
Only the Amendment of the Constitution geared at not making the president wield much power will save us.
we always cite examples from the west but are not ready to follow the path.
My boss, I don’t get it at all.
Clue and careless, heartless and feeble minded folks everywhere. Ooooh God, save us now.
We were thrilled by the sweet promises of the Npp, our media were also in support and tainted the good efforts of the John Dramani Mahama led government. Now our country is on the verge of collapse. Why do we always hate people for no reason? Yet we are either Christians or Muslims. This country is just a second place to Hell
Manasseh Azure Awuni is the Nkrumah of our generation. God will protect you from these money loving and blood thirsty politicians and give you long life and good health.
AZURE can never be Nkrumah of this generation, because he contributed to this mess by painting mahama black for nana addo and Bawumia to come and do this to us
Manase is careless about who is in power
He criticize any corrupt leader
He is very objective
Mahama was indeed black. Corrupt Nana Addo-led NPP, corrupt Mahama-led NDC… who the hell should we even vote for?
Why do we waste this huge amount on multiple contracts that have the object to perform the same work, with no scientific basis, in the name of COVID 19 few months ago and turn around to impose e-levy because Gov’t is broke ? Schools were closed but we decided to still spray there in the name of COVID. Eii Ghana. We need to check Gov’t expenditure instead of introducing new taxes. God bless you Mannessah for exposing the true intention of some of the people behind these deals.
This is heartbreaking!
How could our leaders be this heartless?
You do all these wasteful expenditures and turn around to impose e-levy on the ordinary Ghanaian, claiming the economy will collapse with it?
Yes, the economy can collapse, we are tired of this shambolic leadership.
Manasseh,well done for the good job.
Nana Addo,only came to enrich himself and his family and here we are that we can’t afford three square meal and we dying like flies.
What wrong have we done to him……
Fire burn them all……
God knows and God is watching.
“Whatever a man sows, that’ll he reap”
so says the Bible.
God bless you and protect u. I know they will try to come after u, but none of their wicked plans shall prosper. U are doing the Lord’s work.
This government has wasted our resources before COVID-19 and they are using the COVID-19 to climax it. To be sincere Nana Addo is evil and I won’t be surprised that when he’s dead, he would want the money to be added to him before they burry him. Such a useless president
Is this the competence we were promised? May God save Ama Ghana, and thanks for being a citizen but not a spectator
Quo vadis, Ghana? It is a sad case for Ghana. We have to re-engineer the country’s structure of accountability. “Na who go say the truth?”
We’re just not wise enough. Our future is in serious jeopardy.
In a sane society, where honest leadership is ingrained in the people, the first thing to do, was for the president to mount a national broadcast and speak directly to the people. You start with an apology, take full responsibility and admit the failure of the government, you lead.
You don’t ask your defector Prime Minister to use his Twitter handle to do old fashioned teaser to test the waters, whether the people will complain or not and then in 72 hours, you issue a memo and you want everyone to mute and clap?
Serious citizens will demand the entire cabinet to resign, including the Head of the executive for such clear dishonesty and lack of candour.
Are you still people with brian defending this absurdity because is our party?
The only thing Ghana need now, whether NDC or NPP is a Natiopl Plan, not Political Party Manifesto program that does nothing but sends hawks to radio stations to make noise and insult decerning minds or divergent opinions.
Both NPP & NDC have been great economic managers in Opposition but comes to government and nothing changes except their belly.
Gone are these we used to say we proud Ghanaians..can one say the same today? May God help us and save us from these insensitive men we call leaders in this country..it’s just sad.
Manasseh, the harm has already been caused… Where were you and your team when all these were on going. In any case the mother serpent wouldn’t have even listened… Ghana is a country at the mercy of it’s citizens, political elites and the educated. People are waiting in line to loot their own ‘lootings’
The more you read these stories, the angrier you become.
My church paid before the fumigation ooo
It’s sad to see how Akufo Addo and his family are wasting our money like this
Hmmmmmmmmmm
Hmmmmmmm
6ft at the end but…
I am beginning to believe you from this write up but until then, make your submissions that would make sure the opposition who is also no different from these people capitalise on it.
I think failure should be made synonymous to NPP.
Why is that our leaders are so wicked.
They don’t care about the people who took them to power only their selfish interested.
And they came to my house and I even had to pay them for “fumigation/disinfection”. These guys have no shame. Their paid spokesperson will dedicate his evening program to do the usual spin for them on Tuesday
Our leaders is our problem
Lord have mercy on Aftics
These people are just doing anything to make their generations rich forever.
As a people, we have all it takes to reject these 2 political parties. And look for someone better independently to take control of this country or better still allow the IMF to manager us for like 20 years ahead of us. There two parties NPP/ NDC are too corrupt.
And you have some stomach journalists and some youth who blindly follow them so they think we are all fools.
We shall see.
After this day light robbery by Nana Addo, he wickedly imposed on us Covid-19 levy?
May these people never find peace as citizens continue to suffer as a result of their recklessness.
Ghana our motherland is in total mess. You have done very well in putting this investigative piece.
Kindly go ahead and present the evidence it to the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
Let’s see if he can prosecute those found culpable.
Corruption under this government headed by Nana Addo is like changing diapers for kids.
To the government, the outbreak of the covid 19 pandemic was a glorious opportunity for them to make money. It is clear that apart from the questionable amounts spent on the fumigation, the exercise in itself was not necessary. Today, they want us, as impoverished as we are, to bear with the current untold hardships in the country. Thank you so much for broadening our lenses to see the reality that covid is only a flimsy excuse being peddled by the government. I just hope you will soon prove to us that the Russia-Ukraine war is equally not a reason to justify our current economic woes. God is watching!
God bless you Manasseh and be your protector.
This is completely unacceptable. What type of leaders do we have in the nation and they’re all focused on their stomachs. Do they have feelings for ordinary Ghanaians? Who can not even have a three square meal for a day, poor poor poor old men or old women and the young people crying, all because of our greedy leaders?
Zoomlion is a medium through which they loot n share state’s resources
I said these Guys are heartless, delinquents and prevaricators ruling us. Obscene Akyem bigotry. It’s really sad we appointed this demeted old Guys to lead us at this time.
What’s too hard or impossible to IMPEACH the President at all? We just have to do the needful for our plights to be better on our own land. We should die a natural death rather than starving.
Npp and sweet talk is like a yahoo boy trying to fraud his client.
They would use all the sweet words in the world and before u no your economy is broke ????????
The blatant thievery is so disheartening!
So …so why? Ahhh
What do we do now
To think that this incompetent and corrupt administration was packed to us…. The more pain is the compromised and weak media making the administration have it’s way….
I hope to leave this country to a country with conscious leaders and less vampire leaders and never return..am so much disappointed in akufo addo..the man is the embodiment of the word coruption..
Covid-19 and Russia/Ukraine war?. Nincompoops! I’m tired of this government ?
Such a dishonest government
So how can the state retrieve this monies ,I don’t want to hear prosecution because all the justices from the supreme Court to the lower courts are all doing the bidding of Akufo Addo and his government ,our judiciary is very corrupt nothing better will come out!
500mlln for spraying alone?? this gov is richer than the country
These bunch of thieves want to finish Ghana . Ghanaians must sit up
I think you should revisit the auditors report covering this same fumigation exercise contract given to company between 2018 to 2021 and you will realize there are so many anomalies.
Such a big problem in our country. Greedy leaders here and there. They encourage patriotism but do least of what they encourage. Money is indeed the root of all evil.
Mr Azure kindly check your Facebook messages, there is a project to be carried out. Sent by Emmanuel Akwasi Amankwaa
Wow. We have greedy and selfless people ruling us and Akufo Addo is a curse on us..
there will still come and put the blame on mahama ..in fact we are giving room to this Akuffo Addo to destroy this country ….prison is free for the poor … Akuffo Addo is and Ken are not far from prison.. How come a country that always Borrow money for sustainability for it economy will introduce free Senior high school …why won’t the country Broke …
I will not vote again….
Akuffo Addo and all those concerned should be jailed to serve as a deterrent to others.
Wow….I think I only have this one word to say wow. Ghana…yen Ara yen asaase ni.
Greediness, weakness, demonism at it best.
How do you conclude it was needless and fraudulent?
What a group of selfish serpents!
This country is in a serious mess, the leaders have loosed focused because of their selfish intentions, everyone including the president is enriching themselves and their families, leaving the poor Ghanaian poor and poorer , the average Ghanaian is bleeding at the expense of the leadership, when oh when?
Herh Nana Addo !!!! julo waaaaaa . bad bad bad bad
How many landfills in the USA, Canada, Australia, China, Britain, NewZealand and Brazil, were fumigated. *Absolute Rubbish* and Grand Scale Corruption.
“Hmmm” is what you say if something is too heavy to be uttered…
Very sad oo, my eyes was teary as the video unfolded. Very wicked leaders. Over USD 400 million wasted, this could have provided over 10million capacity hospital beds. Hmm, God will judge them we always say, but I believe it’s time to rise up and take action against these people.
Criminals parading themselves as leaders and demanding for respect. May nature and their conscience deal with them.
The only solution now is for Nana Addo to step down as the President of Ghana. He can’t do anything now. Nana, please Ghana is a Democratic country. Listen to the people, we(Ghanaians) don’t like your governance. In the name of our best Lord Jesus Christ, kindly resign. I even gave lorry fare from my pocket to vote for you but you’ve failed. Please give Dr Bawumia a few years to do something. Thank you for listening to me through our Lord Jesus, amen.
If there’s evidence to that effect,simply impeach the president than bringing it to the court of public opinions for unnecessary commentary
those we have as our leaders are but thieves and con men and women. if we continue as youths to wait for God we will grow old and still be poor and suffering and all these thieves their children will come abd be ruling us. They will be speaking to our children as if we their parents we were so lazy and theirs very hardworking. .
When the Covid-19 money came.they were sharp mismanaged it but could not present accurate accountability of what they what they have managed Corrupt gov’t
Let us be soft on ourselves, please, I have read through all the comments and sentiments so far have not come across any that suggested the following;
The covid 19 episode being overwhelming hype
It was more to do with the SCIENCE that described it.
Sad to say, technology was part to blame and scammers had a field day.
BLAME everyone not ourselves. If you could rewind the clock and listen to various commentaries, agitations and sometimes from seniors, technically minded , you wonder what kind of hypnosis had taken place.
Anyway, It could have been worse.
Lessons learnt the hard way. Lock down ,Lock down, Lock down………….does that reminds you of anything???