Former Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah has addressed concerns raised in a viral video on social media, which suggests that he intentionally abandoned the Presidential Villa, Regional Minister’s Bungalow, and other buildings at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) residence to deteriorate.
In a press release, Osei-Mensah refuted these claims and provided a detailed account of the challenges he inherited when he assumed office on February 22, 2017.
Osei-Mensah outlined several issues he faced, including a significant debt overhang of over GHc1.5 million, a large number of broken-down vehicles, obsolete office furniture and equipment, a rundown administration block, dilapidated buildings at the Residency, and inadequate staff accommodation.
He emphasised that upon assuming office, he took steps to address these challenges, recognising that both assets and liabilities are inherited with the position.
To tackle the debt overhang, Osei-Mensah personally financed the activities of the office for over six months until the first disbursement of the District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF) was released.
He also implemented measures to control expenditure and ensure the judicious use of limited resources. By the time he left office on January 6, 2025, there was no debt overhang at the ARCC.
Regarding the broken-down vehicles, Osei-Mensah revealed that most official vehicles were either broken down or lacked fuel. He had to use his personal land cruiser for official duties until some vehicles were repaired. He also clarified that a Toyota pickup shown in the video had been involved in an accident in 2014, long before he assumed office, and was beyond repair.
Osei-Mensah highlighted the replacement of obsolete office furniture and equipment, despite the limited resources of the ARCC. He listed several items procured during his term, including air conditioners, laptops, desktops, refrigerators, executive swivel chairs, and office tables.
The former minister also addressed the rundown administration block and residency buildings. He prioritised fixing the administration block with the ARCC’s budgetary allocation and appealed for additional funding to construct a modern six-story block, which is currently ongoing. For the residency buildings, he used personal funds to undertake minor renovations and appealed to the central government for budgetary support. Although only a portion of the requested funds was released, some renovations were completed.
Osei-Mensah concluded by stating that the ARCC or himself would not intentionally allow state assets to deteriorate. He attributed the challenges to financial constraints beyond the ARCC’s capacity and reaffirmed his commitment to addressing these issues during his tenure.
