Akufo-Addo’s son in-law’s state ambulance contract runs into US$89 million

The Auditor-General, Johnson Akuamoah Asiedu, and his team at the Audit Service have scrutinised and indicted Service Ghana Auto Group Limited (SGAGL), a company partially owned by Stephen Okoro, a son-in-law of President Nana Akufo-Addo. SGAGL was awarded both the supply of the 307 One-Constituency One–Ambulance Initiative at US$54.339 million, as well as a spare parts deal at US$34.9 million.

Stephen Okoro, a Ghanaian-born Nigerian, runs a couple of businesses, including weed cultivation and packaging, with two of the President’s daughters, one of whom he has a baby girl with.

Stephen runs SGAGL with Alvin Mensah, another business partner of Gyakroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Nana Dokua Akufo-Addo, the President’s two daughters.

Interestingly, the Ministry of Health, in an unsigned press statement, justified the existence of a service contract between the defunct Ministry of Special Development Initiatives and Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, roping in the Office of the Chief of Staff, as well as the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

Mavis Hawa Koomson, now the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, had mentioned buying the 307 Mercedes Benz buses for the One-Ambulance One Constituency initiative at US$54.339 million at US$177,000 per bus. A document signed by ex-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and dated February 9, 2024, authorised the payment of US$34.9 million for spare parts for the 307 Mercedes Benz buses to Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, bringing the amount spent on the ambulances to over US$89 million.

The Auditor-General, in his report, had painted an untidy situation at the National Ambulance Service (NAS) and indicted its management for allowing its staff to work for Service Ghana Auto Group Limited while charging the state for those services it provided.

In one instance, the NAS boss was directly accused of aiding and abetting a conflict of interest situation by paying a staff member, Emmanuel Owusu Boadu, who had used his private company to render a service to the institution.

However, the Auditor-General was more scathing with the Service Ghana Auto Group Limited in a performance audit report on fleet management of the National Ambulance Service dated May 22, 2022, saying it had submitted inflated invoices and gotten paid for the service it used NAS staff to execute. It was asked to refund some payments, but it didn’t.

“We also noted that NAS processed and paid for labour to SGAGL, a third-party service provider, with inflated invoices, despite the service provider using NAS staff to carry out the maintenance work. Also, NAS engaged the services of a company owned by a staff member who was on the NAS payroll,” the report said.

It went on to say, “Our analysis of expenditure as provided in Table 2 shows that NAS has spent a total of GH¢32,386,108.16 within the audit period and could not pay for an insurance premium of GH¢256,000.00 that would have salvaged 16 of the new ambulances. Pictures 5, 6, 7, and 8 show some broken-down ambulances parked at Tafo and Agric directorate workshop in Kumasi and NAS workshop at Korle-Bu in Accra.

Regarding the conflict of interest, it said that “NAS was not diligent in obtaining the services of third-party providers. The CEO of NAS entered into an agreement with a company owned by a staff member of NAS and paid him for work done, though the staff member was on the NAS payroll.

“This situation raises concerns about whether Emmanuel Owusu Boadu carries out his work in the interest of NAS or his company, thus making him unreliable in providing maintenance services both as a NAS technician and third-party service provider.

“We noted that within the period in review, Emmanuel Owusu Boadu was on the staff payroll of NAS and has been working as a third-party provider since 2014. NAS officially signed a service contract with EOB in 2017 as a third-party service provider.

“The CEO signed the contract and the director of operations witnessed it, though they knew Emmanuel Owusu Boadu was a staff member of NAS and on the NAS payroll.

“Management of NAS has agreed to the findings and recommendations for implementation. It stated that the Special Development Initiative Secretariat has been informed to review the Service Maintenance Agreement signed with Service Ghana Auto Group Limited.

Service Ghana Auto Group Limited got a US$34,904,505.00 supply contract to purchase spare parts for the 307 Mercedes Benz buses it supplied to the NAS through the defunct Ministry of Special Initiatives but was inherited by the Ministry of Health.

Service Ghana Auto Group Limited is partly owned by Stephen Okoro and Alvin Mensa, who are connected to the President’s daughters, Gyakroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Nana Dokua Akufo-Addo, as lovers, friends, and business partners.

Insiders have not only questioned the track record and expertise of the Service Ghana Auto Group, but Stephen Okoro has been identified as the father of Gyakroma’s daughter and a business partner in companies linked to the President’s family, including Edwina, the last daughter of the President, and daughter-in-law of Maxwell Kofi Jumah.

Other directors of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited have become elusive. However, of the seven directors, Stephen Okoro and Alvin Mensa are lifelong friends and business partners of the President’s daughters.

Dr. Christian Siaw-Missah, who had signed documents for and on behalf of the company as its managing director, is not mentioned in the incorporation papers.

Stephen Okoro, a beneficiary of the contract to purchase the 307 Mercedes Benz buses for the One-Ambulance One Constituency initiative at US$54.339 million at US$177,000 per bus, is not only Gyankroma Akufo-Addo’s baby daddy, but the two were mates at Ghana International School (GIS).

The same Service Ghana Auto Group was to be awarded a US$34.9 million spare parts contract to service the Mercedes Benz, which Ken Ofori-Atta, an uncle of Gyakroma, had authorised payments for five days before leaving office on February 14, 2024.

The two lovers, Gyakroma and Stephen Okoro, have companies of their own together with Edwina acting as secretary, called Goodbox Limited. They also have another company called SFO Initiative Limited with Richard Okoro, a blood brother of Stephen, playing the role of a secretary.

Again, Gyakroma, Edwina, and Stephen also have another company called Good Grow Limited, which is into the cultivation and processing of cannabis, popularly called “weed” or Indian hemp.

While Goodbox Limited says it is into “running a gym,” SFO Limited has building and road construction, civil engineering works, food, and cross-farming as its nature of business.

Stephen Okoro is reported to be the half-brother of actress Yvonne Okoro. Together they share two other brothers, Richard Okoro and Solomon Okoro.

The names of the brothers have been captured in multiple company registration documents as business partners of President Akufo-Addo’s daughters; Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Akufo-Addo. They are into mining, publishing, microfinancing, civil engineering, road construction, among others.

The same Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, the daughter of President Akufo-Addo, serves in her father’s government, having been appointed by the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture, as a member of the Creative Arts Council.

The interesting thing about most of these companies registered by the President’s daughters and their friends cum lovers is that their addresses used are traced to the Nima private residence of their father.

One other name which also featured prominently is that of Alvin Mensah.

Alvin Mensah and Stephen Okoro, who were captured in separate business registration documents with the names Gyakroma and Edwina, were also found to be business partners of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, together with Oussman Inusah, Kalilu Dauda, Mohammed Nurulhaq, Charles Oppong-Kyekyeku, and Samuel Bannerman.

There is suspicion that the five other directors of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, namely Oussman Inusah, Kalilu Dauda, Mohammed Nurulhaq, Charles Oppong-Kyekyeku, and Samuel Bannerman, do not exist.

Meanwhile, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, has acknowledged a petition submitted by the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the $34.9 million spare parts deal awarded to Service Auto Group Ghana Limited.

According to the anti-corruption agency, the petition will be acted upon if found to be within its purview.

“We acknowledge receipt of a filed complaint as titled above. The Special Prosecutor will direct the commencement of investigations if he determines that the issue is within the mandate of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. You may be contacted should the need arise. Please accept the compliments of my highest consideration,” Mr. Kissi Agyebeng wrote.

In the statement released last Friday, titled “Clarification of ambulance service contract,” the Ministry of Health sought to respond to concerns raised by Mr. Ablakwa.

It said, “On September 10, 2020, the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives signed a contract with Service Auto Group Ghana Limited for the provision of after-sales service and maintenance for 307 Mercedes Benz Sprinter 315 CDI ambulances.

“The contract stipulated that the supplier shall provide the client with a projected budget for requisite spare parts and lubricants to ensure the smooth servicing and maintenance of the fleet.

“Since the inception of the contract, the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives has utilised a portion of its annual budget allocation to support the National Ambulance Service and fund the maintenance agreement.

“Following the dissolution of the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives, the Special Initiatives Development Secretariat took over the execution of the contract.

“On March 10, 2023, the Office of the Chief of Staff requested the Ministry of Health to explore ways to support the National Ambulance Service in maintaining the fleet of ambulances due to Parliament‘s refusal to approve the budget estimates of the Special Initiatives Development Secretariat for the 2023 fiscal year.

“Subsequently, the Ministry of Health wrote to the Ministry of Finance requesting the establishment of letters of credit for an amount of $34,904,505.00 on behalf of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited for the procurement of spare parts for the 307 units of ambulances.

“The Ministry of Finance responded, indicating it could only fund up to $10 million of the requested amount and recommended that the Ministry of Health explore financing the difference through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

“The NHIA, in correspondence with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, stated it was unable to fund the cost of the procurement of the spare parts, as part of the 10% allocation to the Ministry of Health, because this was not captured in the allocation formula approved by Parliament.

“The Ministry of Health would like to clarify that the Service Provider, Ghana Auto Group Limited, has not been paid an amount of $34.9 million as widely reported.

“The Ministry of Health is committed to ensuring a sustainable maintenance regime for all fleets procured for the National Ambulance Service to provide reliable, efficient, and safe emergency medical services.

“All documentation covering this transaction is a matter of public record and can be accessed by the public, adding, “The Ministry of Health is ready to support any effort that will bring further clarity to this issue in the interest of the public.”

However, the North Tongu MP has criticised the Ministry of Health’s response to his petition regarding the controversial US$34 million ambulance spare parts deal.

Mr. Ablakwa, during an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, described the Ministry’s statement as ‘hollow, bogus, dishonest, and disingenuous.’

He slammed the Ministry for distorting his petition to avoid the real issue. Ablakwa emphasised that his petition did not mention any payment of $4.9 million, questioning why the Ministry would address a non-existent claim.

He expressed frustration with the Ministry’s disrespect towards Ghanaians and their intelligence, underscoring the reason no one was willing to sign the statement.

“To be very sincere with you, this is the most hollow, the most porous, bogus, the most dishonest, and the most disingenuous statement I’ve ever come across. Who in Ghana has said 4.9 million dollars has been paid, who has said that? They are so fond of setting their own questions and proceeding to answer them, deliberately distorting the issue so that it will distract us from the real matter.”

“Look, we have had enough of the disrespect of Ghanaian people, the insulting of our intelligence, we’ve had enough. No wonder nobody at the Ministry could put their name under the statement, nobody could sign that statement. Look, we are in no mood for this disrespect and this deliberate obfuscation.”

Source: The Herald