The Head of Public Relations of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Goodfellow Dei-Offei, has said that the recent news of some 1.3M paper roll supply deal never happened under the tenure of the new Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Samuel Kwabena Awuku.
His comments come after it was reported that security operatives stormed the Head Office of the National Lottery Authority (NLA) in bid to seek clarification on a contract awarded for the procurement and supply of NLA’s security thermal paper rolls which is said to have been paid for without going through the proper procedure.
Speaking on this development, Goodfellow told Happy FM’s Don Prah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show: “What I want to establish is that this issue about procurement of paper rolls did not happen under the tenure of the new Director-General, Samuel Awuku. In fact, the little information we have picked up before now is that the contract was awarded in June 2021. By that time the President had not appointed Mr. Samuel Awuku as the Director-General.”
When questioned if the new management team was made aware of the contract in a handing over note, Goodfellow shared that he doubts the handing over note captured that information.
“I cannot speak in detail of every item in the handing over note and the note may not necessarily cover everything and that is the situation. At the moment the Director-General is in a meeting with his management, seeking clarification,” he added.
Reports have it that on June 21, 2021, the NLA awarded a contract for the supply of 135,000 pieces of security thermal rolls at the sum of GH₵1,309,000 to Apollo Steel Ghana Limited.
As per the terms of the contract the items were to be transported to the Head office of the NLA two weeks after the signing of the contract, with a 90-day payment period after supply had been made to the satisfaction of the NLA.
According to reports, before the supply could be made, however, the NLA without the going through the proper procedure paid the GHS 1,309,000.00 to Apollo Steel Ghana Limited in July, 2021.
The National Security and the Ghana Revenue Authority have begun investigations into how the contract was awarded and paid for in breach of the terms of the agreement, the Public Financial Management Act and the Public Procurement Act.
Meanwhile, the new Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA), Samuel Awuku was appointed on 31st July,2021.
