Techiman North DCE Accused of Diverting Streetlight Bulbs to Political Allies for Electoral Gain

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Techiman North Municipal Assembly, Everson Donkor Addo, has been accused of misappropriating streetlight bulbs intended for assembly members and distributing them to his political allies and party officials.

The bulbs, which were meant to be given to assembly members for installation in their respective electoral areas, were allegedly diverted by the DCE. According to reports, he distributed only two bulbs to each assembly member but falsely recorded 30 bulbs against their names on the official distribution list.

This diversion came to light during an external audit, and when the DCE was confronted, the discrepancies were uncovered. Two assembly members, Assah Enoch and Richard Yeboah, from Nana Ati and Nana Akyeaw electoral areas, respectively, confirmed the incident. They revealed that while they were each given just two bulbs, the audit later showed they had been falsely listed as receiving 30 bulbs each.

The assembly members spoke out about the issue during an interview with Techiman-based Akina Radio on Friday, July 7, 2023. They explained that the situation had been investigated by the auditors after intelligence was gathered about the missing streetlight bulbs. Assah Enoch described being shocked when an auditor contacted him, claiming he had received 30 bulbs and demanding to know where they had been installed in his area. Enoch denied the accusation, stating he only received two bulbs.

According to Enoch, the DCE had previously called a meeting with all the elected assembly members and appointees, instructing them not to discuss the issue publicly. The DCE suggested that keeping the matter quiet would help protect everyone involved. However, after local journalists began investigating and reached out to the assembly members, they felt compelled to speak out to clear their names. Enoch emphasized that they wanted to ensure their constituents were not misled into believing they had either sold or diverted the bulbs.

Despite the DCE’s attempt to keep the issue under wraps, Enoch and his colleague, Richard Yeboah, publicly confirmed the diversion. They stated they were not afraid of potential victimization and would stand by their decision to reveal the truth.

Both assembly members confirmed that the DCE had eventually apologized, admitting that there had been a mistake in the distribution process. He acknowledged that only two bulbs were given to each member, but had falsely recorded higher numbers on the list.

Richard Yeboah also accused the DCE of redirecting the bulbs to political figures, including the former Member of Parliament (MP) and Deputy Bono East Regional Minister, Martin Oti Gyarko, who is a presumptive parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Yeboah alleged that the DCE diverted the bulbs to benefit Gyarko politically, allowing him to take credit for the work and gain an advantage in the upcoming 2024 elections. According to Yeboah, the assembly members were the rightful recipients of the bulbs, but the DCE’s actions were meant to create the illusion that Gyarko was responsible for distributing or installing the bulbs, which Yeboah described as misleading.

Both assembly members expressed frustration over the situation and stressed that while most of the assembly members were victims of the diversion, they were too fearful of retaliation to speak out publicly.