Topics

Mitwah

I call for a full investigation into the spending of these funds

January 10, 2014 | By KNews | Filed Under Letters

Dear Editor, Recently I wrote a letter in your letter column highlighting some problems we are encountering with our Statutory RDC Meetings in Region Eight. I mentioned that we did not have our last RDC Meeting of the year due in December because we were told by the Clerk of the Council that they were insufficient monies allocated under line item 6211 to conduct a full sitting of the RDC. I also mention that I cannot buy that and I believe that they were some misappropriation with the funds. Recently, I receive a copy of a list of payments made from line item 6211 from our Regional Chairman that he requested from the Clerk of the Council, which only confirms my suspicion. What I found is that they were unauthorized spending and many of the prices were inflated, they were also some items that was not catered for under line item 6211 was paid from 6211. Here are a couple of examples: 1. Janitorials for the Regional Chairman office $218,400. This amount of items was never supplied to that office. This can be easy verified since all of the items supplied to this office are in a requisition book. 2. Items for the Regional Chairman Office $ 152,737. All that was supplied were two desk trays and two pen sets. I collected a quotation for these four items from the same store they claim they procure them from and found that the price for a desk tray like those that was supply to the Regional Chairman office was $3,016 each and the price for the pen set $1,218 each. 3. Dietary supply to Mahdia Secondary School Dorms $20,850. Not only that this was unauthorized, it should have been purchased from under education budget. 4. A visit from an official: $18,000. This was unauthorized. 5. Reimbursement of cash to a businessman: $100,000. This was unauthorized. 6. Treatment of the RDC building for termites: $248, 000. I believe this was overpriced. 7. Servicing of the Regional Chairman ATV on two occasions: $40,000 and 198,000. It must be noted that this ATV was serviced on two occasions, and no repairs were done on this ATV; all the mechanic did was to change the lubricated oil and change the filter and at one time it cost $40,000 and the other time it cost $198,000. Funds for servicing and repairs of the Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chairman ATVs should be taken out from the Public Works budget since it is catered for in that budget and it is not catered for from line item 6211. 8. Transportation provided for RDC meeting: $1,175,200. This is for two flights from Mahdia to Kato return and one diversion from Monkey Mountain to Kato return to transport Councillors. Two return flights from Mahdia to Kato is about $560,000 and one return diversion from Monkey Mountain to Kato is about $160,000. I believe that this was a carefully orchestrated plan by central government, to misuse the resources to make the Region ungovernable by not having duly constituted RDC meetings. I am calling for a full investigation into the spending of these funds from 6211 and the monies replaced; also that the perpetrator/s be brought to justice. In closing I am calling on the Hon. Minister of Local Government to tell us if the Clerk of the Council has the authority to spend monies from line item 6211 without it being authorized by the Regional Chairman. I believe that the time has come for the Learned Minister to put relative aside and work in the best interest of our country. Oswald Junor Regional Democratic Councillor

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Former Member

Originally Posted by Mitwah:

I call for a full investigation into the spending of these funds

January 10, 2014 | By KNews | Filed Under Letters

Dear Editor,

Recently I wrote a letter in your letter column highlighting some problems we are encountering with our Statutory RDC Meetings in Region Eight. I mentioned that we did not have our last RDC Meeting of the year due in December because we were told by the Clerk of the Council that they were insufficient monies allocated under line item 6211 to conduct a full sitting of the RDC.

I also mention that I cannot buy that and I believe that they were some misappropriation with the funds. Recently, I receive a copy of a list of payments made from line item 6211 from our Regional Chairman that he requested from the Clerk of the Council, which only confirms my suspicion. What I found is that they were unauthorized spending and many of the prices were inflated, they were also some items that was not catered for under line item 6211 was paid from 6211.

Here are a couple of examples:

1.     Janitorials for the Regional Chairman office $218,400. This amount of items was never supplied to that office. This can be easy verified since all of the items supplied to this office are in a requisition book.

2.    Items for the Regional Chairman Office $ 152,737. All that was supplied were two desk trays and two pen sets. I collected a quotation for these four items from the same store they claim they procure them from and found that the price for a desk tray like those that was supply to the Regional Chairman office was $3,016 each and the price for the pen set $1,218 each.

3.    Dietary supply to Mahdia Secondary School Dorms $20,850. Not only that this was unauthorized, it should have been purchased from under education budget.

4.    A visit from an official: $18,000. This was unauthorized. 5.    Reimbursement of cash to a businessman: $100,000. This was unauthorized.

6.    Treatment of the RDC building for termites: $248, 000. I believe this was overpriced.

7.    Servicing of the Regional Chairman ATV on two occasions: $40,000 and 198,000. It must be noted that this ATV was serviced on two occasions, and no repairs were done on this ATV; all the mechanic did was to change the lubricated oil and change the filter and at one time it cost $40,000 and the other time it cost $198,000. Funds for servicing and repairs of the Regional Chairman and Regional Vice Chairman ATVs should be taken out from the Public Works budget since it is catered for in that budget and it is not catered for from line item 6211.
8.    Transportation provided for RDC meeting: $1,175,200. This is for two flights from Mahdia to Kato return and one diversion from Monkey Mountain to Kato return to transport Councillors. Two return flights from Mahdia to Kato is about $560,000 and one return diversion from Monkey Mountain to Kato is about $160,000.

I believe that this was a carefully orchestrated plan by central government, to misuse the resources to make the Region ungovernable by not having duly constituted RDC meetings.

I am calling for a full investigation into the spending of these funds from 6211 and the monies replaced; also that the perpetrator/s be brought to justice. In closing I am calling on the Hon. Minister of Local Government to tell us if the Clerk of the Council has the authority to spend monies from line item 6211 without it being authorized by the Regional Chairman. I believe that the time has come for the Learned Minister to put relative aside and work in the best interest of our country.

Oswald Junor Regional Democratic Councillor