Nabdam: Assembly Members To Sue Senior Staff Over Scandalous Deals

Trouble looms at Nabdam District Assembly as Assembly members are threatening to sue some key senior staff of the Assembly for allegedly playing a role in massive corruption, which has drained the coffers of the assembly.

It's not clear who their main target is, but close sources say some senior staff of the assembly would certainly answer questions in that regard.

The Assembly Members, who are up in arms against the senior staff in the assembly, are alleging that revenue in the assembly has witnessed a drastic decline in the past three months, adding that the administrators cannot also account for the sudden disappearance of three motorbikes procured for the Area Councils to facilitate revenue mobilization.

Registering their displeasure at an assembly session in Nangodi, Nabdam District capital in the Upper East Region, they said the district assembly is breeding corrupt administrators, adding it was about time stakeholders of the district showed keen interest to stop the act which is inimical to the progress of the district.

They expressed dismay at the trend, stressing that the district assembly had not been able to meet its revenue targets, and attributed it to sheer 'create, loot and share' by the superiors in the assembly.

"We cannot accept this clear loot and share deal. We have been keeping quiet for long, and it's affecting the development of our district which is very deprived. The assembly staff have shared and sold the motorcycles," Patrick Dinaa, Assembly Member for Kongo East Electoral Area said.

The Members of the Local Assembly, however, pledged to make financial malfeasance, misappropriation of funds, among other corrupt deals in the assembly a 'disincentive', warning that the Coordinating Director, Mr. Ibrahim and his deputies should produce the 'missing' motorcycles, or incur their wrath in the next couple of months.

Assemblyman for Nangodi Electoral Area, Justice Dagben, who spoke to Peace news on sidelines, accused the assembly staff of haphazardly and spontaneously squandering and misusing resources meant for the development of the district, off the cuff, admonishing them(the civil servants) to desist the act.

While strongly lamenting the issue, Mr. Dagben said some of the civil servants in the assembly were just only obsessed with pursuing their own individualistic interest at the expense of the district's progress, adding "the missing of the motorbikes has affected the Area Councils in their revenue mobilisation expedition-and the police are not doing any proper investigations into the matter. It's sad to have these personnel manning the affairs of this district assembly."

The Member of Parliament for Nabdam, Dr. Mark Kurt Nawaani, in an interview said he was surprised about the missing brand new motorbikes procured for the Area Councils

"The police should not treat this as a light issue. It's a dent on the good reputation of the district, and the issue must be investigated thoroughly to bring the culprits to book," Dr. Nawaani advised, describing the careless handling of state properties in the assembly by staff as 'sadistic'.

Meanwhile, the Station Officer for the Nangodi Police Station, Inspector Haruna Gumah, has assured that the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service, would expedite probes into the matter to bring to rest the jittery..

He called on the youth in the district to also help the police in their probe by volunteering information on the whereabouts of the motorcycles.