The Ghana Airports Company Limited's controversial Christmas tree and decorations were awarded without a procurement or bidding procedure, according to the Ministry of Transport (GACL).
The ministry's disclosure contradicts GACL board chairman Paul Adom-claim Otchere's that "two independent vendors were asked to submit bids." Discounts were negotiated once the bids were discussed."
The Ministry also said that the "Christmas decorations in question" for 2021 were rented rather than purchased, as reported by the GACL board chairman before.
The Ministry of Transport's discoveries are included in a response to a right to information (RTI) request submitted by Redeemer Buatsi to GACL in January 2022, which The Fourth Estate saw.
Redeemer Buatsi, a fellow of the Media Foundation for West Africa's New Generation Investigative Journalism Fellowship, questioned how the two businesses' services for the contentious Christmas décor at the Kotoka International Airport were purchased.
He made the request after seeing anomalies in Paul Adom-statement Otchere's when the airport Christmas tree story erupted earlier this year.
Background
When it was revealed that the GACL had spent over GHS 128,000 on Christmas trees and decorations, the company's board chairman replied within hours.
Leaked proforma invoices from two businesses where the services were bought broke the news about the procurement. The GACL was the recipient of the two invoices. The proforma invoice for Jandel Limited was GHS 38,775
Jandel Limited sent a proforma invoice for GHS 38,775 for "Terminal 3 Arrival Hall (a decorated Christmas tree with lights), lighting décor on the trees around the lawn, and decoration of existing trees."
Favors & Arts also submitted a proforma invoice for GHS 90,500 for the rental of a Christmas chandelier with lights.
Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere received a pro forma invoice from Favors and Arts for GHS 90,500.
The GACL and "Mr Paul Adom-Otchere" were the recipients of the pro forma invoice from Favors and Arts. Social media users questioned the GACL's corporate governance systems, which allowed the state-owned company's board chairman to be personally involved in the purchase of Christmas decorations.
On January 7, 2022, Paul Adom-Otchere bypassed the firm's corporate relations department and published a statement to explain widely circulated information that implied the corporation was misusing public monies.
"Dear friends," Paul Adom-Otchere wrote on his Facebook page, "my attention has been called to a social media post (herein attached) excessively distorting facts concerning Christmas ideas that were displayed at the Kotoka International Airport."
In a bulleted announcement titled "Facts," Mr Adom-Otchere claimed that the GACL spent GHS 118,000 for the decorations, with GHS50,000 provided by a sponsor.
The rest of the statement read:
"FACT: Bids were requested from two different providers. Discounts were negotiated once the bids were discussed. (We thank Jandel Limited and Favors & Arts for their assistance.)
FACT: The lovely Christmas tree at Terminal 3 and three others cost GHC 34,000, which Jandel Limited generously supplied at a substantial discount. (We'd like to express our gratitude to Jandel Limited.)
"FACT: Favors and Arts provided the other inspirations at a total cost of GHS 84,000, of which GHC 50,000 was funded from sponsorship."
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