The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Atta, has revealed that the erstwhile John Mahama led government awarded road contracts haphazardly six months to the December 7, 2016, Presidential and Parliamentary Election.
Speaking on Dadi 101.1 FM’s morning show program dubbed “EFA WO HO” hosted by Abena Pokua Ahwenee, emotional –sounded Amoako Atta said, the reckless decision by John Mahama drained the coffers of Road Fund and COCOBOD, and plunged it into huge debt which could have crippled the road sector for ten years, had it not been prudent management by President Akufo-Addo. “Between 2016 July to 2016 December, the last six months before the election, they (NDC government) awarded some road contracts under what they termed “enhanced projects” through the Road Funds at a total cost of over GHC10billion including Cocoa roads. This was done just six months to the election. At the Cocoa Sector alone, they awarded over GHC5 billion worth of contracts. Some of the roads were awarded without contract documents. The whole year, Road Fund generates GHC1.2 billion”
He added “It is from four sources-the main source is from fuel levy. 40p is deducted from every liter of we buy which constitutes over 98% of the total contribution to the Funds. The second source is road toll which gives us about GHC6million a month, the third source is from DVLA; the fourth source is from Vehicles from neighboring countries that come cart goods to and from Ghana. So if the Fund gives us GHC1.2 billion the whole year and just six months to the election you award almost GHC10 billion worth of road contract, you know what that means. You are telling Ghanaians that we should not award any contract again till after 10 years because there were huge debts. They left huge debts in COCOBOD under cocoa road projects.”
Responding to comment by the Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, John Dramani Mahama during his recent “Speak Out” tour that, the government terminated contracts of ongoing roads awarded during his tenure reason roads in Ghana are deteriorating, the Roads and Highway Minister said “he says, he |
Mahama| as President awarded Cocoa roads on contract and we came to canceled it. We should be sincere to ourselves’”
“Some of the contractors he awarded did not have contract documents. So when there was a change of government some of the contractors themselves suspended work because their projects were questionable. When we sat down with them to look into their documents, I can say on authority that 123 contractors that we regularized their contracts have all returned to the site. There are 87 new road contracts under COCOBOD. We went through procurement last week”
This is not the first time processes for the award of road contracts during election year has been questioned. In 2011, then Roads and Highways Minister, Joe Gidisu, told Parliament that some 400 out of 1,600 road contracts awarded under the erstwhile Kufuor government were terminated over irregularities.”
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
