Massive corruption hits NYEP Secretariat

The Central Regional Secretariat of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) has come under severe criticism for allegedly conniving and condoning with the authorities in the Accra NYEP office to engage in corrupt practices. The Central Regional Coordinator of the programme, Nana Osibey Quansah, is reported to have extorted money from some deputy coordinators, who have been engaged to supervise the activities of the programme in their various localities.The Chronicle is informed that Nana Osibey allegedly acted on the instructions of the authorities in Accra to outwit his subordinates with a promise of renewing their contracts, when it expires in September, 2011.
When contacted on his mobile handset, he denied ever taking money from his subordinates. “My hands are clean,” he shot back.

Each of the Coordinators of the NYEP has a two-year running contract with the programme, which expires in September 2011. On September 1, 2009, the appointment letters of the 17 coordinators in the Central Region were given to them to start their operations, as head of the programme in their various localities.

Their deputies were also recruited on the same day, and ordered to begin work immediately, but their appointment letters were handed over to them on February 1, 2010, with a monthly allowance of GH¢400.

About half of the deputy coordinators’ allowances were delayed for five months (September, October, November, December and January). Others too, had their allowances delayed for eight months (September, October, November, December, January, February, March and April).

Those who had their allowances delayed for five months paid GH¢2,000 as arrears, in addition to the February 2011 allowance. Those with eight months arrears had their money (GH¢3,200.00) paid, in addition to the May 2011 allowance.

Surprisingly, Nana Osibey, according to some of the deputy coordinators interviewed, demanded 50% of the arrears paid to them with the explanation that the money was to be given to the NYEP authorities in Accra.

The Chronicle learnt that a further GH¢400 was demanded from the deputy coordinators to help facilitate the activities of the Regional Headquarters.

“I had eight month arrears, which was paid to me in May. But our Regional Coordinator demanded GH¢1,600 to be given to the authorities in Accra, and a further GH¢800 to facilitate the activities of the programme in the region.

“I was only left with GH¢800, but I couldn’t complain, because he promised to renew our contract when it expires. But I have now realised that all those monies he took were for his personal gain,” said one of the deputy coordinators who spoke to The Chronicle on condition of anonymity.

Part of the money, according to the deputies interviewed, was to be used in maintaining his personal vehicle, which he had been using to facilitate the activities of the programme in the region, until the programme allocates an official vehicle to him.

However, in a telephone interview with The Chronicle, Nana Osibey denied ever taking money from the deputy coordinators in the Central Region.

He told the paper that he had no authority in appointing or renewing any of the coordinators’ contracts when it expires, since they, including himself, were all under the supervision of the authorities in Accra.