Several senior lecturers at the University of Education, Winneba, have set their sights on Alex Afenyo-Markin, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Effutu constituency, urging for an investigation into his actions.
They allege that the MP and lawyer engaged in misconduct during his tenure as the board chair of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) under President Akufo-Addo’s initial term.
Asserting that “crime has no expiry date,” the academics are contemplating escalating their concerns about the MP to President-elect John Dramani Mahama, to probe the outgoing leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary group.
The lecturers are accusing Afenyo-Markin of significant misconduct, such as the suspected inflation of contracts at the Company, where he purportedly approved payments amounting to GHS 14.8 million to the contractor, Intermerc (Gh) Ltd.
Their suspicions arose from their findings, indicating that the project’s value was considerably lower than what the board chairman had declared.
Additionally, they are raising a conflict of interest issue, highlighting the alleged gift of a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle to Afenyo-Markin from the contractor, Intermerc (Gh) Limited.
They firmly believe that these allegations breach the 1992 Constitution, emphasizing the necessity for the incoming government to address them.
Dr. Alhassan, elaborating on the matter, stated, “We firmly believe this is a violation of Article 284 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits public officials from activities that conflict with their official duties.”
Previously, the lecturers, spearheaded by Dr. Alhassan Salifu Bawah, had petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) led by Kissi Adjabeng, to investigate the claims against the politician.
Regrettably, no actions have been taken by the Office in response to their concerns, nor did they bring their complaints to President Akufo-Addo for undisclosed reasons.
Dr. Alhassan expressed hope, saying, “The current administration has not addressed our petition, and we trust that President Mahama will take this matter seriously and conduct a thorough investigation.”
They are optimistic that petitioning Mr. Mahama will bring a resolution to the issue. The lecturers are confident that the incoming NDC administration will promptly address the allegations and advance transparency in public service.
With the party’s pledge to recover state assets and funds through Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL), it is expected that the lecturers’ concerns will receive due consideration and investigation.
Notably, the University of Education, Winneba, where the lecturers are based, is located in Mr. Afenyo-Markin’s Central Region constituency.