CHRAJ pounces on NYA over scandal; Fmr Board Chair fingered in conflict of interest

The dream of Francisca Oteng-Mensah, Member of Parliament (MP) of the New Patriotic Party for the Kwabre East Constituency of Ashanti Region to be appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as one his Deputy Ministers could hit a snag.

Documents available to this portal reveal that the former Board Chairperson of the National Youth Authority (NYA) is being investigated by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) over conflict of interest among other violations.

Sources indicate that a two-page petition is currently before CHRAJ from a private citizen against the one of Ghana’s youngest lawmakers for acting in contravention of article 284 of the 1992 constitution.

A letter reference number CHRA/32/2021/65 dated February 15, 2021 signed by one Stephen Azantilow who is a Deputy Director in Charge of Anti-Corruption at CHRAJ confirms receipt of the petition dated January 28, 2021.

Francisca Oteng-Mensah in the petition, is alleged to have presided over a Board Meeting on March 31st, 2020 of the National Youth Authority where she led other Board Members in approving of some items from a company partly owned by her.

Details of documents from the Registrar General’s Department reveal that the lawmaker and her father owned the company for which reason the petitioner maintained that the former Board Chai person violated the law.

He quoted in support “A public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts or is likely to conflict with the performance of the functions of his office.”