Features
ECG ‘meter-fraud’: Govt must act quickly!!!
Wikipidia defines ‘fraud’ as wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain.
The synonyms for ‘fraud’ include, swindling, scam, hanky-panky, shenanigans, crookedness, embezzlement, deceit, monkey-business and rip-off.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) is said to have forwarded a case docket involving an alleged $36 million procurement fraud of electric meters, to the office of the Attorney-General for prosecution.
The $36 million procurement fraud is reported to have taken place in the Republic of Ghana in 2016.
The submission of the case docket to the office of the Attorney-General follows the conclusion of over four good years of investigations into ‘the fraudulent matter’ by the EOCO and the National Security.
Many concerned Ghanaians and institutions have questioned the long delay in the investigations and prosecution of officials involved in the ‘procurement fraud’.
The fraud was alleged to have ‘germinated’ in September 2016 when L&R Investments and Trading Company, which is incorporated in China, entered into a contract with the Government of Ghana, to supply electric meters to the Electricity Company of Ghana. Reportedly, the contract was to be executed within a period of 26 weeks, and an advanced payment of $12 million was made to L&R Investments plus a Letter of Credit for $24 million.
The 2020 Auditor-General’s Report on state-owned institutions, however, revealed that the meters, which were procured at a huge cost to the state, were abandoned by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) because they were not manufactured to meet the required specifications.
A brief background of the fraudulent deal dates back to September 2016, when the then Ministry of Power wrote to the Managing Director of the ECG , alerting him of a-$40-million financing, secured by the Government of Ghana for the procurement of electric meters.
Reportedly, the letter named Messrs L&R Investments, whose local representatives are Messrs First Grace Limited, to be given the contract to supply the meters.
The ECG management, upon the receipt of the letter from the Ministry of Power engaged Messrs L&R Investments and their local Ghanaian representatives. After ECG had evaluated the proposals from L&R Investments, a pre-contract meeting was said to have been held in October 2016 between the technical team of ECG and the Managing Director of L&R Investments Company. Reportedly, at that meeting, the scope of supply; technical classifications; due diligence; pilot studies; factory acceptance tests and training of ECG metering staff were agreed upon.
Indeed, the two key conditions before the supply of the meters after signing the contract were; the pilot studies to assess the meters for two months and the factory acceptance tests. Sources, however, say :”The 200 electric meters that were to be provided as samples for the pilot studies were not taken to the ECG and the agreed travel of three representatives from ECG to undertake the factory acceptance tests in China before manufacturing of the said meters , did not take place.”
The Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Policies and Research (INSTEPR), Mr Kwadwo Poku, insists that; “without any of these conditions being met, the management of ECG was sent shipping documents for containers of meters at the Tema Port.” Expectedly, the ECG management notified L&R Investments that they could not accept the meters because the processes agreed upon per the contract had not been followed.
Disturbingly, the meters in the containers were not the specifications as per the supply contract, when the containers were cleared at the Tema Port. According to the Executive Director of INSTEPR, the contract was terminated in 2017 after legal consultations but strangely, the company was able to discount the $24 million Letters of Credit given to them under the contract. “We have sighted documents that state that on the 16th of August 2017, at a time when Capital Bank had ceased to be a bank under the laws of Ghana; Capital Bank discounted the Letters of Credit and made a payment of $22.5 million to L&R Investments”, the Executive Director of INSTEPR, has said.
For instance, Mr. Kwadwo Poku is asking the following relevant questions: “Why has it taken four years for the state security agencies in investigating this transaction? “Who are the people behind L&R Investments and Trading Company in Ghana? “The initial $12 million was paid to First Grace Limited, their local representatives in Ghana.
Who are the people behind the Ghanaian company? “Why is the management of Capital Bank not being prosecuted for the illegal discounting of the Letters of Credit?” Readers, the initial investigation into the fraudulent electric meter-deal was reportedly carried out by Kroll and Associates; a corporate investigations and risk consulting firm contracted by the government to investigate various transactions under former President Mahama’s administration.
Readers, remember? How Mr Yao Domelovo, the immediate past Auditor-General was angered by the audits of Kroll and Associates, sanctioned by the then Senior Minister, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo ? The $36 million fraudulent deal was among other deals uncovered by Kroll and Associates.
A lot of well-meaning Ghanaians, however, hold the view that our government has been ‘very slow’ in taking action about this very disturbing fraudulent act. And this column challenges the government to quickly do the needful!!! Contact email/ WhatsApp of author: asmahfrankg@gmail.com (0505556179)
By G. Frank Asmah
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
