PIAC wants value for money audit on oil projects

The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has recommended a forensic audit of all oil-funded projects to assess the extent of abuse of funding projects with petroleum revenue.
A member of PIAC, the committee with oversight responsibility over the prudent management of petroleum revenues, Dr Steve Manteaw, in an interview said some of the misappropriation  of oil money earmarked for projects were dire.
"We need to look at all projects funded with oil money since 2011 and where there have been clear cases of abuse, the law must take its course," he said.
It has emerged that some projects purported or reported to have been funded with oil revenue are either non-existent or incomplete.
A visit by the PIAC, the GIZ and the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) to some oil money projects in the Eastern Region revealed that a science resource centre at the Begoro Senior High School (SHS) in the Upper Manya Krobo District captured as rehabilitated with oil money had not been completed.
The Headmaster of the school, Mr Daniel Mensah, said the centre had been completely out of use since 2011 after the contractor removed windows, doors and cast first phase of floor terrazzo and abandoned the project.
"The school wasn't involved at any stage in awarding the contract. The absence of a science lab is making the teaching and learning of science difficult," he said.

The project
Officials at the district assembly also denied knowledge of the award of such a contract.
The contract sum was GH¢130,152.96 for completion in four months.
Petroleum revenue component in the amount was GH¢52,765.24.
It is ,however, unclear if the contractor was paid or not.

Challenges /Impact
The science resource centre served other SHS in the district.
The school has put few materials in one classroom for theory. Some prospective science students, upon seeing the situation either apply for transfer to other schools or change their courses.
The number of science students has dropped from about 70 to about 32 during admission.
A student, Bright Commey, appealed to the Member of Parliament for the area and the government to help restore the science resource centre to its past glory.



-We need to look at all projects funded with oil money since 2011 and where there have been clear cases of abuse, the law must take its course.


-The PIAC has an additional public oversight to the implementation of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) and to provide a platform for public debate on spending of oil money.