Former GEPA deputy CEO dismisses clothing allowance allegation by AG

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Mr. Akilu Sayibu

Former GEPA deputy CEO dismisses clothing allowance allegation by AG

The Former Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), Akilu Sayibu has finally come public to break his long silence after he was relieved of his official duties in June 2018. His decision to come out at this time is born out of what he perceived as deliberate attempts by some persons to use the media to dent his integrity or brand his as corrupt.

The allegations of corruption are emerging against Mr. Akilu Sayibu only at the time he has expressed some interest in contesting the NPPâ€™s parliamentary primaries in the Tamale South Constituency.
It would be recalled that Mr. Akilu Sayibu was surprisingly dismissed alongside the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GEPA, Gifty Klenam and one of other deputy, Eric Amoako Twum who were accused of indulging in mismanagement of funds belonging to the authority last year.
Madam Klenam and Mr. Eric Amoako Twum were alleged to have collected $132,000 or GHÂ¢580,800 for house rent, covering a period of two years in gross violation of state procurement laws.

Mr. Akilu Sayibuâ€™s name was not mentioned anywhere in the numerous earlier reports but was axed together with Ms. Klenam and Amoako Twum, the two main accused persons in the corruption allegations. His termination thus attracted massive public displeasure especially on social media.
He is now being accused of receiving clothing allowances and also stealing official laptop allocated to him at the time he was at post as Deputy CEO of GEPA.
Mr Akilu has issued a statement in response to the media publications accusing him of receiving underserving clothing allowance to the tune of GHC10,400 purportedly and a laptop contained in the 2018 Auditor Generalâ€™s Report.

He explained that he never took any laptop away unlawfully after the termination of his appointment on June 7, 2018.
According to him, he was â€œgiven the option to either return my laptop, replace same, or pay and keep it. I opted for the option of
keeping same and paying for the cost from my terminal benefit in an official written communicationâ€.
â€œAccepting the option to pay for the laptop was not done in secrecy. It was done through an official written communication to Ms Afua Asabea Asare, the new CEO, months before the official Auditing, the evidence of which is availableâ€.
He said that the Auditors were duly informed of this arrangement in a written response he gave to them, a copy of which was available and which they made reference to in number 310 of the Audit Report.

The former Deputy CEO of GEPA said, â€œFor the records, for the 13 months I worked at GEPA I was not a signatory to any of our corporate accounts. I had no mandate to pay even a pesewa either to myself or any body and never paid myself clothing allowance nor received same. The allegations of payment of an alleged Ghc10,400 for clothing allowance was brought to my attention during an Audit Observationâ€.
Mr. Akilu Sayibu further said, â€œI made my salary account available to the Auditors to prove that I never received any clothing allowanceâ€.
The former GEPA Deputy CEO described as â€œmysteryâ€ why the allegation of receipt of clothing allowance was published and his response in defence was not published by the Auditor General.

Saying, â€œI have formally written to the Auditor General on this and entreat that such an outrageous allegation be ignoredâ€.
I therefore see the decision to publish only that portion of the report and omitting my response as a deliberate attempt to paint me black in the eyes of the public.

Read FULL the Statement

FORMER GEPA DEPUTY CEO RESPONDS TO ALLEGATIONS

My attention has been drawn to publications in the media about keeping an official Laptop and clothing Allowance despite being sacked from GEPA.
I wish to state that I never took any laptop away unlawfully after the termination of my appointment on June 7, 2018.
When my appointment was terminated on June 7, 2018, i was given the option to either return my laptop, replace same, or pay and keep it.
I opted for the option of keeping same and paying for the cost from my terminal benefit in an official written communication.
Accepting the option to pay for the laptop was not done in secrecy. It was done through an official written communication to Ms Afua Asabea Asare, the new CEO, months before the official Auditing, the evidence of which is available.

The Auditors were duly informed of this arrangement in a written response I gave to them, a copy of which is available and which they made reference to in number 310 of the Audit Report.
I therefore see the decision to publish only that portion of the report and omitting my response as a deliberate attempt to paint me black in the eyes of the public.
About the clothing allowance, for the 13 months I worked at GEPA, I was not a signatory to any of our corporate accounts. I had no mandate to pay even a pesewa either to myself or any body and never paid myself clothing allowance nor received same.

The allegations of payment of an alleged Ghc10,400 for clothing allowance was brought to my attention during an Audit Observation.
I made my salary account available to the Auditors to prove that I never received any clothing allowance.
Why the allegation of receipt of clothing allowance was published and my response not published remains a mystery.
I have formally written to the Auditor General on this and entreat that such outrageous allegations be ignored.

Thanks
......Signed.....
Akilu Sayibu
Former Deputy CEO

Source: WatchGhana.Com