Dissolving METRO MT Board won’t solve problem – Ansah Sasraku

Source: myjoyonline.com -  The immediate past board chairman of Metro Mass Transit (MMT), says the decision by President Mahama to dissolve the MMT board over the controversies surrounding the management of MMT is not the panacea to the company’s woes.

Nana Ansah Sasraku III and members of the board were relieved of their duties in a statement signed by Chief of Staff Prosper Bani.

The President also directed Managing Director Noble Appiah and his Deputy, John Awuku Dzuazah to step aside for investigations to begin. Brigadier General I.B. Quartey (retired) is to take over MMT’s management.

The government-run transport operator has been in the news lately over missing buses and some procurement irregularities. Nana Ansah Sasraku III told Joy News’ Francisca Kakra Forson it will take more than dissolving the board to fix MMT’s problems.

“It’s just fine [dissolving the board], but would that solve the problem there? Would that make Metro Mass better? Or it is going to allow things that would not auger well for the company? It doesn’t [solve the problem] at all.”

According to him, the key problem at the state owned Transport Company has to do with procurement. He accused the Transport Ministry of being lackadaisical in implementing recommendations stated in an audit report regarding said issue.

He said his attempts to deal with the procurement issue have encountered “serious resistance” from the Managing Director, Noble Appiah. “Because I am not allowing all this, they see me as a threat to their pilfering and the things they have been doing”.

If you changed board [and] the procurement problem is not addressed, he insisted, “It will not solve the problem”.

Some staff members accused the Board Chairman of awarding contracts to his company, Capricon Company Limited. He has flatly denied the allegation and challenged his accusers to produce one payment voucher issued to his company.

Rather, he said most of the contracts have been given to OTC Ghana Limited, a company he suggested has not been performing satisfactorily.

He alleged there are some “powerful forces” behind that company and he “warned them that they cannot do that and that is the problem”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Transport Minister, Joyce Bawa Mogtari said the dissolution is part of the process to solve the problems at MMT and asked all to remain calm as the ministry investigates the issue before it.

Senior Staff Association Chairman, Delali Kuma said the President’s decision to dissolve the board has been welcomed by MMT workers.

He was however not in agreement with the directive asking the Managing Director to step aside along with his deputy. Mr Kuma argued that the MD has not been cited by any report of wrong doing.

Nhyira FM’s Ohemeng Tawiah who was at the offices of MMT in Accra reports that some security officials stormed the offices of the Managing Director and his Deputy yesterday.