Storekeeper in court over alleged foodstuff theft at Sekyedumase SHTS
The storekeeper Eric Twumasi Kwaakye and his wife Akua Anima are facing criminal charges A storekeeper and his wife are facing the Ejura District Court in the Ashanti Region after being accused of stealing foodstuffs meant for students at the Sekyedumase Senior High Technical School. The couple, Eric Twumasi Kwaakye and Akua Anima were arrested late last month by police at Sekyedumase following a report filed by security operatives, court documents show. Items retrieved from the suspects include; boxes of sardines, pieces of mackerel, twenty-five litres of cooking oil, quantity of beans, gari, rice, tissue paper among others. The items were being transported to Offinso through Anyinasu, it is reported. On August 17, 2021, Eric and his wife were arraigned before the Ejura District Court presided over by H/W Divine Ahiadu (Esq). They pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to committing crime and stealing. They were however admitted to bail to the sum of ¢4,000 with two sureties after their lawyer, Stanley Tweneboah Kodua Gyamfi (Esq), pushed for their release. The case was adjourned to September 16, as sources in the school who are familiar to the development say the Ghana Education Service (GES) is also investigating the case. This development comes amid concerns of widespread food shortages in various second cycle schools across the country. The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) for example, raised an alarm and gave the government an ultimatum to address the situation. The Ministry of Education denied shortage saying its checks reveal schools have enough food. A Director-General of the GES, Prof. Kwesi Opoku-Amankwa also says he felt the reports were exaggerated. “As far as our records go, there is nothing like that”, Opoku-Amankwa told Citi FM. “We have officially not received complaints from any of the schools over the issue.” —Dailymail Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093
MTN Commits GHC 10M To Help Grow Female Participation In ICT Industry
Leading Telecommunications giant, MTN Ghana has as part of its 25th Anniversary celebrations, committed Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GHc10million) to support the Ministry of Communication’s Annual Girls in ICT Initiative over a three-year period. By this laudable gesture, MTN Ghana has pledged its commitment to the advancement of Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. Speaking at the presentation of the cheque, Mr. William Tetteh who represented the CEO of MTN said MTN is very pleased to once again demonstrate its support for Government’s efforts to address the female participation gap within the Ghanaian ICT sector. “The MTN Group is a signatory to the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles. Our core belief as a business is that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern, connected life. We therefore strive to ensure that men and women benefit equally from ICT,” he emphasized. Association With President Akufo Addo’s Statement On Tuesday (yesterday), His Excellency President Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo received the Robotics team of the Methodist Girls High School from Mamfe, Akuapim who won the World Championship in Robotics and Coding Competition in December 2020. He told the Girls “The people who began Silicon Valley were very young at the time. Not much older than you are, and they’ve changed the way our world works, so you have it in your power to come and change the way Ghana works, and change it for the better.” According to Mr. Tetteh, MTN associates itself with the Presidents sentiments adding that Gender Empowerment is a key strategic component of MTN’s Corporate Social Investment and over the years MTN has made significant contributions in this regard. “We however do not wait until precocious young girls become seasoned women professionals before taking an interest in them. Our contributions start from the grassroots level. This is why, as part of our 25th Anniversary celebrations, MTN Ghana is committing Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GHc10million) to support the Ministry of Communication’s Annual Girls in ICT Initiative over a three-year period,’ he reiterated. The Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu who received the cheque was full of commendation for the MTN’s gesture. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093
CDD-Ghana Report: Akufo-Addo Should Whip His Appointees- Governance Expert
An Expert in Governance, Dr Isaac Kofi Adu Yamoah has tasked President Akufo-Addo to whip his appointees to change their strategy of working. He made this statement on Wontumi TV Morning Show following the recent Center for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana’s report. According to Dr Adu Yamoah, the appointees implemented some strategies to sound as if they were working meanwhile it was the opposite. “The hunger and the zeal the appointees were using to work in the first term of Akufo-Addo’s government have withered due to the outcome of the 2020 election and the campaign,” he said. The Governance Expert said that what has contributed to the poor performance of Akufo-Addo’s government is the avoidance of reshuffling of the ministers. “Akufo-Addo should introduce the reshuffle and give the ministers performance indicators to give an account of their work every three months if not he will not get a legacy,” he told Oheneba Nana Asiedu. —Wontumionline Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093
I am beginning to feel disappointed in Akufo-Addo’s presidency – Prof. Lumumba
• Prof. Lumumba has expressed his disappointment in the presidency of Akufo-Addo • He says Akufo-Addo begun his tenure with a lot of enthusiam but that has now been plagued with mismanagement of the country • Prof. Lumumba recounted a number of scandals that he believes has tainted Akufo-Addo’s presidency Pan-Africanist, Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba has expressed his disappointment in the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. According to him, Akufo-Addo begun his tenure with a lot of zeal to uplift Ghana towards a much sustainable and well-developed nation but that enthusiasm he says, has now been plagued by mismanagement of the country by the President. “The problem with our leaders is that if you see good in them, they disappoint you very quickly and there is a sense that I’m beginning to feel disappointed in President Akufo-Addo,” Professor Lumumba stated. Making the comments in an interaction on Zoom with Maxwell Nkansah monitored by GhanaWeb, the Director of the Kenya anti-corruption Commission recounted a number of scandals that he believes has tainted Akufo-Addo’s presidency. He bemoaned the stance of the parliament of Ghana seeking to approve payment of salaries to the spouses of the president and vice president. “When I see Members of Parliament going to parliament and saying the President’s wife deserves an allowance then I know the man whom I thought had great ideas is now down the periscope. That is my unfortunate verdict as I speak,” Professor Lumumba added. Prof. Lumumba added that the infamous FixTheCountry demonstration which saw a large number of youth take to the streets to protest the living conditions under President Akufo-Addo is also one to wonder about. Though he commends President Akufo-Addo for still having an intellectual power of leadership, the recent happenings in Ghana does not culminate towards a good perception of the country. “He started very well. He had ideas talking about industrialisation in every district, he said he will look for Ghana beyond aid. The rhetoric was right but now as I watch him consistently, I’m beginning to see a mismatch between rhetoric and action.” Prof. Lumumba however said President Akufo-Addo still has an opportunity to redeem himself of these predicaments which has plagued his presidency. —Ghanaweb Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093
K.K. Sarpong ‘appears more as Aker’s spokesperson than GNPC CEO’ – Ben Boakye
The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Mr Benjamin Boakye, has said the CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Dr K.K. Sarpong appears more of a spokesperson for Aker Energy than the arrowhead for the state oil company. In an article responding to some assertions made by Dr Sarpong against civil society organisations who have raised concerns about GNPC’s bid to acquire stakes in Aker and AGM oil blocs, Mr Boakye said: “The most worrying part of Dr. Sarpong’s public commentary is his extreme lack of control over the transaction he champions”. “It could be deliberate but the accompanying risk for Ghana is chilling”, Mr Boakye noted, adding: “He appears more as a spokesperson for Aker than GNPC, defending and changing numbers to make Aker look good”. “Dr Sarpong says he is not aware of Aker looking to sell its assets without success. This is not just unbelievable; it portrays a lack of attention to detail in his bid to short-change the public. If GNPC did any due diligence on why Aker wanted to sell, they would have chanced on online publications and direct quotes from the CEO of Aker Energy that they were looking for investors, including a possible sale of stakes to the market. That would have helped GNPC to investigate why they failed to get any buyer”, he said. In his article, Mr Boakye said: “Dr Sarpong doesn’t have control over the few numbers involved in this transaction. His struggle to remember what is informing the transactions only leaves him accusing CSOs of ignorance. All of a sudden, he is putting out new numbers different from what he presented to Parliament. He told Parliament that the total cost incurred by Aker is $800 million; this included an ambiguous $280 million described as money spent on other activities. Now Dr. Sarpong is quoting $399.2 million as the total cost incurred. It appears we are now making progress in the attempt to clean the transaction. Perhaps the more heat he gets, the lower the numbers for Ghana”. Read Mr Boakye’s full statement below: Ben Boakye asks: Who can compete with GNPC’s Kahuna to drive me more nervous? I have followed a series of interviews granted by Dr. KK Sarpong and sometimes froze, literally, in complete disbelief of what damage he is doing to the country in an attempt to litter the media space with hate for CSOs. By design or not, he injects extreme nervousness than I have seen. The strategy was evident; he pontificates his achievements in public life to sedate the minds of Ghanaians to think that he is doing the right thing with the Aker transaction. He tries hard to discredit CSOs in the crudest way possible, so the public will listen to him, not the CSOs. Additionally, he displays an unpardonable lack of control over the Aker transaction, which makes his amnesia of the history of Aker/AGM in Ghana almost forgivable. For the avoidance of doubt, CSOs have deliberately abstained from personalising this transaction, but we are capable of descending that lane. On Peace FM, Dr. Sarpong claimed an outstanding achievement of consigning Ghana Cocoa Board (Cocobod) to a debt-procuring enterprise for almost three decades. He owned the idea to syndicate loans to purchase cocoa beans, a practice that has escalated from borrowing hundreds of millions in the 1990s to billions today. Dr Sarpong should note that CSOs will not celebrate his legacy of debt procurement, instead of building capital for the trade of a commodity that Ghana continues to play a dominant role in the global supply market. It is even shocking that the GNPC Kahuna goes way back into time to account for his public life with such surgical precision on what he thinks is public-worthy. I would have thought that the most relevant and recent context of his public life to the ongoing Aker transaction is his stewardship of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). TOR was handed to Dr Sarpong with total debt of about $400 million. At the time, the State needed the genius to save the company. Not only that, the public was billed, through the TOR Debt Recovery Levy, to support Dr. Sarpong to turn the company’s fortunes around. Instead, he left the company with a debt of over $1.4 billion, having received about $580m from the levy. In 2015, a government committee, with the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and KPMG, recommended further investigation into the debt and use of funds at TOR. However, as vulnerable as the Ghanaian public is, he gets rewarded with a more significant portfolio in GNPC. Here again, his stewardship of the Corporation thus far remains a template of “how not to run a national oil company,” which will remain a subject of academic scrutiny for so long. He frustrated ExxonMobil on the selections of a local partner for one whole year, creating inactivity on Exxon’s block until Government compromised on Goil. Under his watch, the Government has paid about $260 million for unutilised domestic gas and flared about $200million worth of gas in 2020 alone. At the same time, Dr. Sarpong spends his time negotiating the import of LNG at an additional cost of about $300 million a year to the public on a take-or-pay contract, ignoring the warnings of IMF on the fiscal consequences in its article IV report for 2021. He demonises existing investors with his kitchen engineers, then comes out in the open crying about exiting investors and blaming energy transition. Aker’s jackpot is only one of many bad judgments of GNPC under his leadership. To avoid public scrutiny of the Aker transaction, the Kahuna of GNPC spends time bastardising CSOs and craftily portraying that we lack knowledge of the entire transaction. However, it gets too apparent that if he paid little attention to CSOs, some nervy moments in his interviews, which I will return to shortly, would have been avoided. On the point of lack of knowledge, he got worryingly deflated by
Kwadwo Poku: RE- The biggest procurement fraud in the acquisition of $36m electric meters
In 2016, the Ministry of Power through the Ministry of Finance made a payment of USD $36 million to L & R Investment and Trading Company Limited, for the supply of single-phase and three phase electric meters to ECG. The total contract price for the supply of these meters were USD $39,999,566.44, to be supplied over a period of twenty-six (26) weeks. When the contract was signed, an advanced payment of USD $ 12 million was paid to L & R Investments plus a Letter of Credit (LC) of USD $24 million. The Institute for Energy Policies and Research (INSTEPR) was doing an investigation into procurement lapses at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) after the recently published Auditor-General report. Electric meters procured for customers were found in the warehouse of ECG while customers across the country are in dire need of these meters. We learnt that not all the meters in the ECG warehouse are ready to be supplied to the customer, so we asked why? The Background: In September 2016, the Ministry of Power wrote to the Managing Director of ECG, informing him of a USD $80 million financing secured by the Government for the procurement of electric Meters. The letter stated that local Ghanaian companies will be given USD $40 million and Messrs. L & R Investments and Trading Company whose local representatives are Messrs. First Grace Limited, be given USD$40 million. The Ministry letter instructed the managing director of ECG to initiate discussion with the said suppliers with the view of entering into contract for the supply of these electric meters. The Ministry also asked for immediate response to their letter to facilitate cabinet and parliamentary approval. The Management of ECG on their part upon receipt of the Ministry letter engaged Messrs. L & R Investments and Six (6) local Ghanaian companies. After ECG had and evaluated the proposal from L & R Investment, a pre-contract meeting was held in October 2016, between the technical team of ECG and the Managing Director, in the name of Mr. Tao Wenhui for L & R Investment. At this meeting, the Scope of Supply, Technical Classification, Due Diligence, Pilot Studies, Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and Training of ECG metering Staff were discussed and agreed. The two key conditions before the supply of the meters after signing the contract were the Pilot study to assess the meters for 2 months and the Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT). After the contract was signed and L & R given an initial payment of USD $12 million, the meters that were to be provided as samples (200 electric meters) for the Pilot studies were not sent to ECG and the agreed travel of 3 representative from ECG to undertake the Factory Acceptance Tests in China before the manufacturing of the said meters did not take place. Without any of these conditions being met, the management of ECG was sent shipping documents for containers of meters at Tema Port. ECG informed L & R Investment that they cannot accept the containers because they have not followed the process agreed to as per their contract. After months of back and forth with L & R Investments, the containers of Meters were cleared from the Tema port to stop the accrual of demurrage. The meters in the containers were not the specification as per the supply contract. INSTEPR was told that the said contract was terminated in 2017 after legal consultations on the non-performance by L & R Investment. This company after months of not conforming to the agreed conditions of their contract, went ahead to discount the USD $24 million Letter of Credit (LC) given to them under the contract. We have sighted documents that state that on the 16th of August 2017 at a time when Capital Bank Limited had ceased to be a bank under the laws of Bank of Ghana, Capital Bank discounted the LC and made a payment of USD $22.5 million to L & R Investment. INSTEPR conclusion and questions: INSTEPR contacted the officials of ECG to ascertain further and better particulars on this transaction, we were informed that all documents relating to this transaction is with EOCO and National Security. Our further checks revealed that EOCO and National Security have been investigating this transaction since 2017. Our questions are very simple: Why has it taken 4 years for the State Security Agencies in investigating this transaction? Who are the people behind L & R Investment and Trading Company in Ghana? The initial USD $12 million was paid to First Grace Limited, who are the people behind this company? Why is the management of Capital Bank Limited not being prosecuted for the illegal discounting of the Letter of Credit? We do not want to draw any conclusion since this matter is still under investigation, but I am sure every Ghanaian will agree with me that we need some answers and accountability now from our leaders on this fraudulent transaction. There is no way this transaction was done by the average Joe on the street. INSTEPR is still probing various procurement breaches at ECG. – The author, Kwadwo Poku is Executive Director for Institute for Energy Policy and Research. Source: Kwadwo Poku Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093
NPP corruption will be probed after we ‘get them out of power’ – Ablakwa
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was once nicknamed ‘clearing agent’ for good reasons, at least to his appointees, many of who he cleared when they got mired in corruption scandals. “His nickname became a clearing agent, he is quick to clear his people and so the only way we can know the real length of the frog is to get this government out,” these were the words of North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The former deputy minister is backing the position of former president Mahama in calling for the ruling New Patriotic Party to be thrown out of power in 2024 to allow for the eight-year stewardship of Akufo-Addo to be probed relative to corruption. “The only way to get these people to account is to get them out of the space, get them out of power when they lose power. In the fight against corruption, incumbents protect their own and it has been worse under this administration,” Ablakwa added when he appeared on the September 1 edition of Accra-based Asempa FM’s ‘Ekosii Sen’ programme. Last week, John Mahama, on one of his regional ‘Thank You’ tours in northern Ghana averred that the ruling New Patriotic Party, NPP, are bent on retaining power beyond 2024 so that they can escape accountability. The NPP, with over three years to the next polls, have started talking of ‘Breaking The Eight’ about a practice where there is a change of government after every two terms for a particular party since 1992. The party has however cautioned its rank and file against flagbearer campaigns stressing that it was time to concentrate on fulfilling campaign promises and that no group or individual should distract the president with intra-party politicking. —ghanaweb Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093
Gabby Otchere-Darko grabs top Commonwealth job in Ghana
New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwart Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has been appointed the new chair of the Ghana hub of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). CWEIC is a commercial, not-for-profit membership organisation with an official mandate from the Commonwealth Heads of Government to facilitate trade and investment throughout the 54 Commonwealth member nations. Otchere-Darko is one of the leading transactional lawyers in the country and the senior partner of Africa Legal Associates, a Ghanaian law firm with a pan-African vision. A solicitor and barrister trained in the UK and Ghana, Mr Otchere-Darko is also the former chief executive of a UK-based consulting company which specialised in facilitating business for companies and organisations with an interest in Africa. Touching on his new appointment, Otchere-Darko said: “I thank Lord Marland [chairman of CWEIC] and the entire CWEIC leadership for the confidence shown in me for assigning me this dignified and strategic role as chair of the CWEIC Ghana hub.” He added: “I am excited about the timing of this assignment as I see a revival of the old Commonwealth bond but of a more confident and assured partnership of 54 member countries this time, and particularly at a time that Africa is finally realising the old vision of economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area and its 54 member countries”. “I appreciate the centrality of Ghana in this emerging economic order and will do my very best to promote the objectives of CWEIC, which, in my view, are mutually complementary to the objectives of AfCTFA.” Marland expressed optimism that Mr Otchere-Darko’s experience will help boost the image of the organisation. “As chairman of CWEIC, I am delighted to welcome our new Ghana chair”. “It is a great honour to have someone of the calibre of Mr Otchere-Darko join our organisation”. “Ghana is a dynamic force in the Commonwealth of nations and I am confident that we can now build on the success of Ghana to capitalise on future opportunities under Gabby’s leadership.” Samantha Cohen CVO, chief executive of CWEIC said: “CWEIC is fortunate to have Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko as our new chair of the Ghana hub”. “Mr Otchere-Darko brings to CWEIC his professional brilliance as the senior partner and co-founder of Africa Legal Associates and one of the country’s leading lawyers”. “In addition, he brings many years of business experience and his expertise in the area of political risk analysis”. “This is a crucial time for Ghana and the Commonwealth as the world recovers from the COVID crisis. Ghana’s place as a vibrant hub abundant with global trade and investment opportunities and home to the AFCFTA Secretariat, will be further enhanced by Mr Otchere-Darko’s commitment to this role.” CWEIC’s network includes roughly 100 business and government strategic partners (members), including Standard Chartered, Zenith Bank, Trade and Investment Queensland and the Government of the Maldives from across 30 countries and territories. Every two years, CWEIC hosts the Commonwealth Business Forum in association with the host country of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). —Dailymailgh Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: +2335555568093
THE BONGO SCANDAL: Assembly withdraws GH₵187,000 from contractor’s bank account without permission
Assembly allegedly awards a contract to itself using the certificates of a company without the owner’s permission Assembly pays money into the business account of the company and withdraws the money without the authorisation of the owner Owner complains to the bank and assembly, and orders them never to withdraw any money without his permission But the assembly withdraws GH₵156,000, again without the owner’s authorization The bank fails to notify the owner and fails to tell him who took the money from his account The District Chief Executive of Bongo is a shareholder and director of the bank. The assembly also owns 30% share in the bank, but the DCE disagrees he has any influence on the bank. The Fourth Estate’s investigation establishes who went to the bank to withdraw the money and the role of the assembly in this murky transaction. *********************************************************************** When the CEO of Aporgan K-A Enterprise, Asumbekere Karim Anagbila, got a notification that GH₵31,000 had been withdrawn in cash from his bank account, he was alarmed. But what alarmed him more was the name that came with the alert—David Aruk. David Aruk is the Engineer and head of the works department at the Bongo District Assembly. Karim said he had not permitted him to withdraw any money from his account. But that was not the last time the Bongo District Assembly was involved in withdrawing cash from the account without his permission. On June 14, 2021, a cash amount of GH₵156,520 entered and disappeared from Karim’s account under murkier circumstances than the first withdrawal, this time without any traces. The Fourth Estate’s investigations have revealed that both withdrawals were facilitated by officials of the Bongo District Assembly. The withdrawals, which Karim insists were illegal, were in respect of a shady contract which the Bongo District Assembly allegedly awarded to the management of the assembly using Karim’s company without his permission. The deal was fronted by Baba Nsobilla Sebastian, an official of the National Health Insurance office in the Bongo District. Background Karim’s company, Aporgan K-A Enterprise, was used by the Bongo District Assembly to award a contract without his knowledge and money was paid into his account and withdrawn without his authorisation Karim’s company, Aporgan K-A. Enterprise, was awarded a contract in November 2020 to drill 10 boreholes in some communities in the Bongo District. The Bongo District Chief Executive (DCE), Peter Ayinbisa Ayamga, told The Fourth Estate that the contract was fronted by Madam Diana. In other words, he awarded that contract to Diana. Diana and Karim have told The Fourth Estate that they work together and there’s no disagreement in the execution of the contract. The contract sum was GH₵219,820 and work was supposed to be completed in six months. The payment was to be made based on the amount of work executed at every stage of the contract for which the contractor raised the certificate for payment. The consultant for the project, according to the two-page contract, was the head of the works department of the Bongo District Assembly, David Aruk. Bongo District Assembly awards contract to the management of the assembly One of the hand pumps at the site of the controversial contract. Each of these cost about 22,000 cedis to construct. Karim said when he detected the withdrawal of money from his account by the head of the works department of the assembly, he followed up to enquire from the assembly and he was given rather worrying details. Officials of the Bongo District Assembly said someone had used Karim’s company for another contract with the assembly so the GH₵31,000 withdrawn from his account was in respect of that contract. That contract was also for the drilling of 10 boreholes in the district at a cost of GHc219,820. The DCE, Peter Ayinbisa Ayamba, told The Fourth Estate that he awarded that contract to Baba Nsobilla Sebastian at the same time he awarded the other contract to Madam Diana. He said the assembly had followed the procurement process by advertising the contract in the national dailies and attracting interest from contractors across the country before selecting the winners on merit. Asked whether he noticed that both contracts were awarded to two separate individuals who presented the same company, the DCE said at the time he was busy with the 2020 election in which he was the parliamentary candidate for governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). He, therefore, did not have the time to scrutinise the deal properly. Agitated by what had happened Karim caused his lawyers to write demand letters to the bank and the assembly. The parties involved were invited by the Upper East Regional Director of the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), formerly the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI). The DCE has confirmed attending this meeting at which the NIB concluded its questioning and said it was writing its report to Accra. Highly placed sources in the intelligence agency told The Fourth Estate that officials of the assembly admitted during interrogation that, indeed, they awarded the contract to the management of the assembly using Karim’s company. David Aruk, according to the NIB sources, was supposed to have sought Karim’s permission to use his company but the assembly realised later that he had not. Peter Ayinbisa Ayamga, however, insisted that he awarded the contract to Baba. Baba opens up on his involvement Baba Nsobilla Sebastian says the head of works at the assembly, David Aruk, used Karim’s company for the contract. He also revealed how the second amount was withdrawn The Fourth Estate met with Baba Nsobilla Sebastian and asked whether he had the permission of Karim to use his company to bid for the assembly’s contract. Baba said he had not spoken with Karim or anyone close to him about using his company’s certificates to bid for a contract. He said it was the assembly’s head of works department, David Aruk, who facilitated that. “I heard of the advert but as at the time, all my documents [company licences] were not ready… So, I asked engineer [David Aruk] if there was any help.