Opinions of Sunday, 11 March 2018

Columnist: Alhassan Salifu Bawah

Vice Chancellor of UEW will likely earn a much longer company with Abuga Pele

File photo File photo

Pleading guilty or accepting that one is at fault at the earlier stages of a trial, in some instances, usually attracts a lesser punishment or sentence.

Even though the current litigation in the law courts involving the legally interdicted VC of UEW ('Fool Professor' Avoke), and others haven't blossomed into a criminal trial yet, it is foreseeable that at every stage of the case, the interdicted VC will continue to live in his state of denial until a Court of Competent Jurisdiction orders that he joins Abuga Pele and Assibit to compare notes.

It is incumbent upon the son of the upright peasant farmer, to present the facts and nothing more to my esteemed readers, in order to set the records straight. I must admit that I haven't got any educational qualifications from any institution of learning, just like Kweku Baako Jnr having no qualifications as a Journalist, but who nonetheless, has risen to become one of the most respected and decorated Journalists in Ghana. Kweku Baako Jnr, you are not alone ooh!

In an article by Prof. Kweku Sofoh (one of the pseudo names used by the interdicted VC of UEW), he asserted: "I, however, know that consultants are not hired to evaluate any procurement activity as the lawyer mentioned". Have I ever told anyone that I am a "lawyer"? Point of correction, I have never set foot in a classroom!

In the wildest dreams of the interdicted VC and his scoundrels, they are the only persons qualified to hold public office in Ghana, which I honestly agree with. This is why 'Fool Professor' Avoke, is still the interdicted VC of UEW. There is no question about that.

The attached approval to carry out an evaluation, authorised by the interdicted VC, included a Consultant (Ms. Susan Djokoto), a staff of Procurement & Project Management Consultancy (PPMC).

The same approval document dated 11th August, 2016, went further to appoint the interdicted FO (Theophilus Senyo Ackorlie) and the retired Registrar (C.Y. Akwaa-Mensah), as advisors to the Committee, with the interdicted Head of Procurement (Ms. Mary Dzimey), as supervisor.

Prof. Kweku Sofoh, or whatever, have you seen your stupidity and ignorance being slapped on your chimpanzee-like face? Your baseless claim that Consultants have no role to play in Procurement, only goes further to expose the state of denial 'Fool Professor' Avoke is living in. If this is the caliber of individual, who at the least opportunity, jumps to shout from every rooftop that he hasn't done anything wrong during his 'stewardship' of UEW as VC, it only points in one direction; more time to fraternise with Abuga Pele!

Procurement & Project Management Consultancy (PPMC), was the Consultancy firm engaged by UEW to evaluate all the contentious contracts, whose report, NOT MY REPORT, concluded that Proteus Ltd, and all the other contractors the interdicted VC awarded almost all the said contracts to, were not qualified.

Section 22 (2) of Act 663 as amended, provides that: "The procurement entity may require tenderers to provide appropriate documentary evidence or other information that it considers useful to satisfy itself that the tenderers are qualified in accordance with the criteria referred to in subsection (1)".

The criteria in subsection (1) include: Professional and technical qualifications and competence; financial resources; equipment and other physical facilities; managerial capability, reliability, experience in the procurement object and reputation; and the personnel to perform the procurement contract.

The Consultants, Procurement & Project Management Consultancy (PPMC), of P. O. Box AF 1701, Adenta, Accra, after examining the bids of all the tenderers for the construction of the Lecturers' Office Complex at the north campus, disqualified all the six (6) tenderers.

All the tenderers failed to meet the set criteria in subsection (1) of Act 663 as amended, as captured in the Tender Documents.

The tenderers are: Sparkx (SM) Ghana Ltd, Ghc 13,276,721.52; Donajos Co. Ltd, Ghc 16,974,650.50; Wilkado Construction Co. Ltd, Ghc 19,807,292.95; Paabadu Construction Ltd, 20,989,507.62; Western Logistics, Construction & Supplies Ltd, Ghc 18,685,019.64; and Antarctic Contract Works Ltd, Ghc 19,315,468.16. All disqualified!!

The Consultants (PPMC), per the provisions of Act 663, duly recommended that the said contract, be re-advertised.

However, this was fragrantly ignored by the interdicted VC. He went ahead in clear breach of Act 663 to award that particular contract to Sparkx (SM) Ghana Ltd. See attached for reasons why Sparkx (SM) Gh Ltd was disqualified.

These are some of the issues that Prof. Kweku Sofoh, Patrick Adu-Bortsie, Victor K. Owusu, Eric Appiah, and all the other imbecile cowards, commanded by 'Fool Professor' Avoke, ought to be responding to.

The law that the interdicted VC derived authority from to override Act 663 in the award of all the contracts in question, is what Prof. Kweku Sofoh and his fellow ugly assailants should be quoting to prove the innocence of the interdicted VC. A million super duper publications that fall short of this, are irrelevant!!

Answers are required with regard to the wilful and blatant violation of Act 663 by the interdicted VC in the award of several contracts. Answers that are sadly not forthcoming from Prof. Kweku Sofoh and his fellow chimpanzees, despite being the 'best in research', the world over. What a shame!

As stated in my previous write-ups, for the chimpanzees to be taken serious, they have to sue me for everything that they have accused me of; i.e., not having any educational qualifications; illegally appointed as a lecturer and Coordinator at UEW; having served in the UK Armed Forces; having operated a Private Ltd Company in the UK in the past; quoting Act 663 and other relevant laws to support my arguments; and go further to sue the Council Chairman of UEW for resigning from his previous position of VC and taking up the role of Council Chairman of UEW; signing and issuing Press Releases at the 'wrong' time; staying in a university guesthouse; and calling 'too many' council meetings.

To cap it all, the President of the Republic, Nana Akuffo Addo, should also be sued for appointing Prof. Abakah as Council Chairman.

It is only in this regard that the interdicted VC and his equally confused ‘foot soldiers', would be accorded some respect, and seen to possess some common sense.

Ghana is a civilised nation where the law reigns supreme. Therefore, any rational being having the capacity to sue, ought to go to court and have their concerns addressed, based solely on the position of the law, devoid of emotions. A case is not won in court on emotional grounds. It is based on this that the 'common' akpeteshie seller (Supi Kwayera), proceeded to court and had the VC and FO of UEW barred from office by a court order, that subsequently opened a can of worms, leading to their interdiction together with their accomplices in the award of some contentious contracts.

Supi Kwayera has now cleverly ceded the alleged procurement breaches by 'Fool Professor' Avoke, to EOCO/Special Prosecutor to handle, since this would yield a quicker criminal conviction.

Ugliness is never a barrier to filing a court case. It is because of the ugliness of the interdicted VC and his blind ghostwriters, that compels them to hide behind concocted names like Patrick Adu-Bortsie, Victor K. Owusu, Prof. Kweku Sofoh, Eric Appiah, etc, to churn out outright fabricated falsehood.

If a so-called Professor of Law, is claiming not to have heard of a 'set-off' in civil litigation before, then his clients are freely counselled to possibly engage the services of a more competent legal representative. Set-off, is basic, and is taught under Civil Procedure, mostly at the undergraduate level in the UK.

Some staff of UEW lost their lives just for asking simple questions like what the son of the upright peasant farmer has done and continues to do.

May the souls of Rev. Rexford Abedi Boafo, and James Marshall Buah, rest in perfect peace! I want these two (2) fallen heroes to know that their efforts towards cleansing UEW of the naked rot, not perceived, has not been in vain. And to the veterans (survivors), like the Ag. FO (Bruno), whose only offence was to compete with the interdicted FO for the vacant position of FO, I salute you!!

I expect the interdicted FO (Theophilus Senyo Ackorlie), to issue a statement and counter my submissions in this article. If he had the time and resources, to respond to an accusation that he took a loan (which he mischievously interpreted as stole), of Ghc 193,850.09, from the GUSSS (which carries no jail term), at a time that some GUSSS contributors were denied loans of just Ghc 3,000, because of lack of funds, then rationally, because the blatant violations of Act 663 carries a possible jail sentence and confiscation of ill-gotten assets, a statement from him, is of paramount importance.

In the interdicted FO's statement released on the 24th of February 2018, he illegally referred to himself as the "Finance Officer" of UEW. This is wrong in law. Legally, he should be addressed by all and sundry, including himself, as the interdicted Finance Officer until determined otherwise by either a Court of Competent Jurisdiction or by the UEW Governing Council.

The above are the facts, that neither diversionary tactics nor voodoo, can sweep under the carpet.

Alhassan Salifu Bawah

(son of an upright peasant farmer)