By Robert Tachie Menson
Berekum (B/R), Nov. 22, GNA – The Concerned Assembly Members of the Berekum East Municipality have raised red flags over plans of the Assembly’s management to auction some vehicles that, in their view, are serviceable.
Th vehicles are those with registration numbers are Cesspit Emptier, GV-159-V, Grader, GC-1047-09, Tripper truck, GT -7414-12, Tripper truck, GT-7413-12, Wheel loader, GC7100-09, Nissan Pick-up, GT 2468-U and Ford Everest Four Wheel, GE 3103-Y.
Speaking at a press conference at Berekum in the Bono Region, Mr Wonder Amo Appau, the Secretary of the Concerned Assembly Members said an ad hoc committee headed by Mr George Hinneh, Assembly Member for Biadan West was tasked in 2020 to assess and recommend whether those vehicles should be auctioned or maintained.
He explained that the committee’s recommendation included repairing and maintaining the grader and the wheel loader with a proper and accountable management team in place to manage them.
According to him, another recommendation was that the management team must adopt proper maintenance culture to ensure value for money.
In that sense, Mr Appau added the team was tasked to ensure that some specific grounded vehicles of the assembly fixed, by replacing some faulty parts and afterwards selling the remaining spare parts as scraps.
He said after the deliberations, those recommendations received unanimous approval of the Assembly.
Mr Appau said the auctioning of those vehicles had never been a subject of discussion at the Assembly’s general meeting, hence, “we were surprised to see it in the minutes of our last meeting.”
Later in an interview with the press, Mr Stephen Kwame Asamoah, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Assembly however described claims by the Concerned Assembly Members as factually incorrect, saying “the vehicles are non-serviceable.”
He said when the current government assumed power, a committee was constituted to assess if those vehicles were in proper condition.
According to Mr Asamoah, “the committee found out that the vehicles were all in poor condition that could not be used except one truck which could be repaired,” adding that mechanics estimated the cost of that truck’s repair at Gh¢80,000.
He said the issue was announced to Assembly members and a meeting, adding members therefore voted for the motion that the vehicles must be because of their poor condition.
GNA