The Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) is investigating allegations of conflict of interest against the Deputy Gender Minister-designate, Francisca Oteng-Mensah.
Miss Oteng-Mensah, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Kwabre East is accused of awarding a contract to a company she is a director and shareholder of while she served as the Board Chairperson of National Youth Authority (NYA).
In a report by Fourth Estate, Ms Oteng-Mensah is alleged to have supervised the board to pay ¢700,000 to Adonko Company – a subsidiary of the Angel Group of Companies.
On March 31, 2020, the NYA issued a statement launching a nationwide youth campaign against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The authority mentioned that it would “restrict the campaign to electronic means, thus social media, traditional media and text messages. Short and informative videos and messages will be created and broadcasted on the various social media platforms, radio and television stations.”
In April 2020, the National Youth Authority as part of its ‘Covid-19 Youth Campaign’ donated assorted essential medical logistics to the Ministry of Health. The items included goggles, personal protective equipment (PPEs) and hand sanitisers.
Ms Oteng-Mensah is alleged to have supervised the board to pay ¢700,000 to Adonko Company – a subsidiary of the Angel Group of Companies.
Fourteen out of the 15 board members of the institution were in the Zoom meeting to approve the amount. That meeting had the board chairperson, Francisca Oteng Mensah; the CEO, Sylvester Tetteh; and a Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat, Henry Nana Boakye, in attendance.
Minutes of the board’s virtual meeting on that day show the CEO presented management’s proposal for GH₵3 million for a campaign to support the government’s fight against COVID-19.
A resident of Nima in Accra, Ismail Mohammed, on January 21, 2021, petitioned the anti-graft institution to look into the conduct of the MP, insisting the NYA’s ¢3 million expenses on a Covid-19 campaign in 2020 had elements of impropriety.
In a response to the petition, the lawyers for Francisca Oteng-Mensah, Ghartey & Ghartey, told CHRAJ that the petition had “no facts that would support the belief that our client has been involved in a conflict of interest situation. There is without question no basis for the belief that there has been a conflict of interest situation.”
The lawyers for the MP say the mere fact that the NYAboard chair was linked to Adonko Bitters, where the NYA bought hand sanitisers, did not put her in a conflict of interest situation.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, earlier this month, nominated Member of Parliament for Kwabre East, Francisca Oteng Mensah as Deputy Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Pulse
