A scandal is allegedly brewing at the Accra Metropolitan Authority (AMA) over the purchase of some 5,000 dustbins valued at 2 billion cedis by the Chief Executive, Solomon Offei Darko. This is because the purchases were made at a time when various organizations and NGOs have already donated hundreds of similar dustbins to the AMA free of charge.

Secondly, Mr. Darko approved the purchases without references to the Assembly’s tender board, even though the Local Government regulations stipulate that all contracts in excess of ?800 million should be approved by the Assembly first.

Sources at the AMA revealed that a few months ago, the Chief Executive without consulting the Waste Management Department, ordered the 5,000 dustbins from an Accra based firm, Apotosu Services Limited. But various organizations donated 4,000 bins making the AMA’s purchase superfluous.

The Free Press newspaper says it sighted a letter dated October 28, 2002 issued by the Chief Executive ordering the WMD to take delivery of the said dustbins from Apotosu Limited and place them in storage awaiting further directives. Sources at the AMA revealed that Mr. Ofei Darko is at loggerheads with most of the AMA’s top brass because of his abrasive leadership style.

TEMA IN DISTRESS OVER GARBAGEz/h4> The inability of refuse contractors to collect refuse from houses in Tema is posing health problems in the municipality and the insanitary conditions have been compounded by the rains.

Investigations by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) revealed that the contractors engaged by the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) had not been paid for more than three months because of financial problems facing the Assembly.