Acting Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Highway Authority, Cecil Nii Obodai Wentum, has debunked claims by Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, that the institution embezzles GHC2.75million each month from one axle load station.
The lawmaker alleged on TV3 KeyPoints on Saturday, December 14, 2024, that the Ghana Highway Authority reportedly fired a female staff member for earning GHC3 million a month from the axle load station.
However, the Acting Director of Public Affairs, Obodai Wentum, speaking on 3FM Sunrise with Jonnie Hughes, argued that the said woman was relieved of her post because her contract had ended.
“The lady was not sacked as said by Sam George. She was not a permanent but a contract staff member and was to leave after the contract,” Mr. Wentum corrected.
He again mentioned that the axle load station is not a revenue-generating unit of the Ghana Highway Authority.
“It’s not everything that Sam George said that is accurate, he made it sound like the Axel Load stations are revenue-generating units. Our axel Load stations are not revenue generating units of the Ghana Highway Authority but control programme,“ he clarified.
The Ghana Highway Authority in a press release issued by the Public Affairs Division has emphasized that the company has put in measures to deal with any corrupt practice.
“We reaffirm our commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption or misconduct. In fact, quite recently, some officers of the Authority who were found to have misconducted themselves in relation to the Axle Load Operations were interdicted and others dismissed,” portions of the statement indicated.
This stemmed from an invitation to the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) by the Authority to conduct investigations into the operations of the Axle Stations. The matter is currently with the Office of the Attorney General for the necessary prosecutions.
“The Authority reiterates that it will not shield any of its officers who are found culpable of professionally misconducting themselves, including the Supervisor in issue,” part of the statement reads.
By Frederick Kunzote-Ani