SUPPORTERS OF the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper East Region are at the heels of the Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo, accusing him of nepotism and fraudulently awarding juicy contracts to relatives and cronies without going through the necessary tendering and procurement procedures.

The angry NDC faithful, DAILY GUIDE gathered, are also calling for the regional minister’s immediate removal for undermining party unity and the prospects of the Atta Mills-led administration in the next general elections with divide and rule tactics, adding that the minister’s continued presence in the region will bring the ruling party into disrepute and cause serious embarrassment to the government of Prof. Atta Mills.

The agitated supporters, DAILY GUIDE learnt, have gone to file a legal writ against Mr. Woyongo in a Bolgatanga High Court for the alleged fishy contracts to be set aside and to restrain the minister from awarding contracts to cronies, including an alleged friend of Vice President John Mahama.

The minister claimed the friend had contributed to the campaign chest of the vice president.

Five of the juicy contracts for the supply of 10,000 dual desks, 4000 bunk beds for Upper East schools and construction of a wall at Bolga Senior High School to the tune of ¢46.96 billion or GH¢4,696,416.73, were awarded to three different companies, all owned by one Clement Akapani, the alleged friend of Vice President Mahama.

DAILY GUIDE further learnt that after NDC supporters accused Mr. Woyongo of giving many contracts to one person while leaving out other party loyalists, the minister reportedly stunned a group of journalists by claiming that the man had been favoured because he contributed about ¢1billion to Vice President Mahama’s campaign.

However, the regional minister has denied the allegations saying they are coming from a few disgruntled party supporters.

In a telephone interview with DAILY GUIDE, Mr. Woyongo said the allegations are being made by people who have contested elections of the party in the region and lost, asking DAILY GUIDE to treat them with contempt.

On the accusation that he awarded contracts to his cronies, Mr. Woyongo said it was a wild goose chase by his opponents as he did not do anything unlawful.

He however admitted awarding contracts to Mr. Clement Akapani because the man, according to Woyongo, contributed ¢500 million (GH¢50,000) to the vice president’s campaign, and not ¢1billion as is being bandied about.

He asked DAILY GUIDE: “Is it wrong to give contracts to somebody who has contributed to our party?”

According to him, he was not directly involved in the award of the contracts, pushing the burden onto the head of a certain Sagito Issakah who signed for the approval of the contracts on behalf of the Secretary of the Regional Entity Committee.

Mr. Woyongo, the NDC supporters pointed out, had been embroiled in one controversy after another, starting from his appearance before the Appointments Committee of Parliament for vetting where he was quizzed on three different occasions over the procurement of some equipment for his radio station, Diamond FM, in Tamale.

Documents available to DAILY GUIDE indicate a possible complicity on the part of Mr. Woyongo in breach of procurement laws, as he is said to have wrongfully awarded contracts to his ‘buddies’ to the tune of ¢88 billion or GH¢8.8 million before invitations for tender.

Correspondences indicated that some of the contracts were approved or awarded on February 26 2010, whilst invitation for tenders described as National Competitive Tender for the same contracts was published in the Ghanaian Times on March 3 and 6 2010, apparently violating the Public Procurement Act, (Act 663) 2003.

One of the contracts for the building of a two-storey girls’ dormitory at Bongo Senior High School at the cost of GH¢1,127,167.15 or ¢11 billion went to Messrs VIYAHS Enterprises Limited, a company which DAILY GUIDE learnt is owned by Victor Yahaya, the Regional Minister’s nephew.

Mr. Yahaya is also the Upper East Regional Vice Chairman of the NDC, and was elected through alleged manipulation of the Regional Minister.

Other contracts were awarded to Messrs Kambo Company Ltd, owned by Bolnaba Mumuni, NDC Regional Chairman, to supply 5,000 dual desks and 2,000 bunk beds at a contract price of GH¢975,000.00; and Messrs Amaland Company Ltd for the construction of a two-storey girls’ dormitory at Awe Senior High School at the price of GH¢1,131,770.09.

The rest were awarded to Messrs Sunlu Ghana Ltd for the rehabilitation of a three-storey boys’ dormitory at Bawku Technical Institute and the construction of a wall for Bolga Poly at the contract sum of GH¢906,411.47.

Apart from the award of the contracts to alleged cronies, which has incurred the wrath of Upper East NDC supporters, Mr. Woyongo is also alleged by party supporters to have instigated various members of the party to write letters to its national leadership and the presidency, seeking to destroy the reputation of long-standing, dedicated and loyal NDC members who are languishing in poverty and lack jobs.