STATE BUNGALOWS NOT FOR SALE 14 cases to be reviewed

Front Page: Daily Graphic, April 28, 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE government is to review the sale of all state bungalows which were done while officials were still in occupation.
The review of the sales is in line with recommendations made by the Subcommittee on Transfer of Executive Assets of the Government Transitional Team which stated that government bungalows were not to be sold under any circumstances.
The properties listed for review include No. 1 St Mungo, occupied by and sold to Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, and No. 1 Liberation Road, occupied by and sold to Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
Others are Number 15 Fourth Circular Road, occupied by Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd) but given out as gratis to the Sierra Leonean Embassy; No. 59 Fourth Circular Road, occupied by Mr Clement Eledi but sold to the Libyan Embassy; No. 7 Fifth Circular Road, occupied by Mr Alan Kyerematen but sold to Ogun Segun; No. 11 Fifth Circular Road, occupied by Prof C. Ameyaw-Akumfi but sold to Nick Hotel; No 31 First Circular Road, currently vacant but sold to Crystal Hill, and No. 6 Sixth Circular Road, occupied by Ambassador D. K. Osei and sold to Paradise Hotel.
The rest are No. 33 Patrice Lumumba Road, occupied by Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface but sold to Fati Seidu; No. 2 Sixth Circular Road, occupied by Prof Gyan Baffour but sold to Edmund Mills; No. 54 Osu Residential, Ringway Estates, currently vacant but proposed for sale to Poku Edusei and Ras Boateng.
A report by the committee on Government Executive Bungalows noted that the committee’s preliminary investigations showed that many of the bungalows had been sold off or demolished and transferred to non-public officials.
It noted, for instance, that out of the 69 prestige bungalows presented to the committee by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, 11 had been sold, while three had been converted into offices.
According to the committee, the phenomenon was difficult to explain, as it was beyond the comprehension of the committee.
“The executives of state who are caretakers cannot allow the bungalows they are occupying to be sold, either to themselves or to any other persons. This is in breach of Article 284 of the Constitution,” it noted.
Article 284 of the Constitution provides that “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office.” (Conflict of Interest)
The committee, therefore, recommended an investigation into how the prestige bungalows were bought by Nick Hotel, Paradise Hotel, Crystal Hill, Fati Seidu, Edmund Mills and others when high-ranking Ministers of State were occupying them as sitting tenants.
It suggested the need to rationalise the principle of duty-post accommodation to avoid the situation where duty posts were sold to public officers in lieu of official bungalows.
It mentioned those converted into offices as No. 16 Third Avenue, Ridge, Regional Office of IDA, SRF; No. 68 Fifth Avenue Extension, Ridge, Office of the First Lady, and No. 50 Liberation, Ridge, African Centre for Economic Transformation.
The committee further asked the Mills administration to surcharge nine former government appointees the commercial rent and utility bills for illegally staying in government bungalows a year or more after they had resigned or had their appointments terminated by the Kufuor administration.
The affected appointees are Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Dr Geysika Agambilla, Mr Joseph Kofi Addah, Mr Kwamena Bartels, Ms Christine Churcher, Mr Majeed Haroun, Ms Gloria Akuffo, Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd) and Mr Alan Kyerematen.
According to the committee, a principle should be established whereby the situation where government appointees whose appointments with government were terminated continued to occupy official government accommodation should be totally discouraged.
“For that reason, the above-listed persons who continue to illegally occupy government accommodation should be surcharged for all utilities, as well as rent calculated at commercial rate,” it noted.
It expressed regret that contrary to the principles of conduct of government business, state lodges were given out free to political appointees and family members.
It mentioned five beneficiaries of such lodges at the Cantonments area as Mrs Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, SSNIT lodges near the 37 Military Hospital for four years; Mr Kofi Kufuor, Kulpawn Lodge, two years; Nana Ama, Bosumtwi Lodge, three years; Ivor Agyeman-Duah, Sakumo Lodge, two years, and Mr Kofi Adomako, Ankobra Lodge, the duration of stay not indicated.
Touching on the Peduase Lodge, the committee said substantial questions had been raised about the quality of work done so far and proposed an investigation into the project.
It said the total cost of the project, which was awarded on contract on January 2, 2006 by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing and included the infrastructure upgrading of the Peduase village, was GH¢22,469,662.27.
The government further recommended the suspension of rehabilitation works on the Australia House immediately, while a technical audit be conducted to establish who really the contractors were and to retrieve all the movable property, such as equipment, furniture and television sets, removed by Super Care Group Ltd.
It noted that the Australia House, which was extensively rehabilitated in 2000, was now in very appalling conditions.
“The POP and the T&G ceiling in all the rooms have been ripped off. The wooden floor in the rooms has also been ripped off. All the furnishing items have been removed. The swimming pool is full of fungi,” it noted.
According to the committee, the conduct of work at site, starting from the engagement of contractors to the appointment of Mr Oppong Bio, a private financier, to fund the project, was done without due process.
“Sheila Sackey from the National Security Office who became the Comptroller of Household in the Office of the President gave out the contracts by word of mouth. One of the subcontractors on site, Super Care Group Ltd, an air condition servicing company, has brought in another private company, Prime Constructions Ltd, to undertake civil works valued at GH¢721,914.54. Super Care Group does not possess the requisite qualification and certification to undertake such a job. An attempt to bring in AESL belatedly was frustrated by Sheila, the Comptroller,” it said.
The committee, therefore, directed that a competent contractor be appointed to rehabilitate the Australia House immediately, which had been serving as a guest house for visiting VIPs.
It asked that Ms Sackey be recalled by the National Security Co-ordinator and investigated, which should be without prejudice to charges that might be levelled against her by a commission of inquiry.
It directed State Protocol and the Prestige Unit of the Public Works Department to assess the state of neglected and abandoned lodges in the Upper West, Volta, Central and Western regions.