A former Deputy Minister of Information in the erstwhile John Mahama administration, Felix Kwakye Ofosu says the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is interested in engaging in scandal mongering than focusing on its mandate as a government.
He stressed that the Akufo-Addo administration has taken keen interest in denigrating and maligning his predecessor’s administration at every given opportunity, neglecting his core responsibility to meeting the expectation of Ghanaians.
Commenting on the Saglemi housing project, former Deputy Minister of Information on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ morning show said the Housing Minister and the Akufo-Addo government are contradicting themselves in the Saglemi housing project.
He wondered why the sector Minister during his visit to the site last year, showered praises on the contractor undertaking the project and his sudden u-turn.
” . . so on what basis are you turning around to say something untoward has happened with the project within this short period? And on what basis did the sector Minister praise the contractor if all documentations and the work done are wrong, because it is assumed that the Minister will check the documents regarding the project before commending the contractor,” he said.
He added that the former Deputy Minister to Samuel Atta-Akyea, Freda Prempeh also on Joy TV said she is pleased with the work of the contractor on the Saglemi housing project.
“When you look at the NPP Government led by Nana Akufo-Addo, their behaviour and utterances show that they are not a government who have made their minds that the work which Ghanaians have entrusted into their hands, they will concentrate on it and do it,” he asserted.
“Everyday, the NPP government led by Nana Akufo-Addo engages in scandal mongering to denigrate and malign others without any cause. One would have expected that this Akufo-Addo led government will ensure the completion of the Saglemi housing project in order to help many Ghanaians to have access to affordable houses,” he jabbed.
He reiterated that Akufo-Addo government instead of concentrating on that housing project, rather is going around on baseless issues to tarnish the image of the former administration led by former President John Dramani Mahama.
CONTRACT AGREEMENT
Former Deputy Information Minister said at the latter part of 2012, the government of Ghana received $200 million from a Switzerland bank and the government employed the service of a Brazilian construction company to build the Saglemi housing project.
So the government entered into first phase of agreement after with the company in January 2013 which meant that even though the money is $200 million, the housing project must be done in 4 phases.
The first phase of the housing project should see 1,502 housing units and these houses will either be rented out or sold so that the proceeds will be used for the phase two and again the proceeds from phase two will be used to construct phase three of the housing units and it will continue till we finish all the 4 phases.
The government again in December 2016 had second restated agreement with the constructor to reduce the earlier 1,502 housing units to 1,412.
WORKS AND HOUSING MINISTER COMMENT
But the Works and Housing Minister said the project has stalled over allegations that the country was shortchanged with the provision of less than 1,500 housing units as against the initial agreement of 5000 housing units.
Hon. Samuel Atta-Akyea has however assured that all persons and entities involved in the botched Saglemi housing deal will soon be called out to answer questions on allegations of causing financial loss to the state.
Source: peacefmonline.com
