Deputy Managing Director of Metro Mass Transit Ltd, Haroun Apaw Wiredu, has revealed that 313 buses were declared unserviceable and sold barely two months before the 2020 general elections, raising serious concerns about the disposal of state assets.
He disclosed that some of the buses were sold for extremely low amounts, with one reportedly going for just GH¢2,500.
Speaking on Accra-based TV3, Mr. Wiredu said the management of the company at the time operated what he described as a criminal scheme known as “cannibalisation,” in which buses with minor faults were deliberately written off and sold cheaply to cronies.
According to him, internal reports indicate that more than 400 buses were intentionally tagged as unserviceable and sold to individuals linked to the system.
“By 2017, when the previous government took the reins of power, it will surprise you to know that around 2017 and 2018, they declared over 400 buses unserviceable. Those buses were scrapped and sold to certain individuals associated with the system,” he said.
“Then, two months before the 2020 election in October, another 313 buses were sold among some cronies. When I reviewed the report, I realized that a whole Metro Mass bus was sold for a paltry GH¢2,500,” Mr. Wiredu added.
He explained further how the alleged scheme operated.
“What we realized was that the then management was involved in a business we called cannibalisation. Cannibalisation is a deliberate act—they saw scrapping buses as a low-hanging fruit, a way to milk the system,” he said.
“Deliberately, they would remove parts from a bus, and when it reached a certain point, they declared it unserviceable. Once declared unserviceable, they would call someone to buy it for, say, GH¢2,500 official fee,” he noted.
Since assuming office in March 2025, the new management has taken steps to investigate the matter, including engaging external auditors.
“We commissioned external auditors to get this issue resolved once and for all, and they submitted a draft report to us last week for our consideration,” he added.
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