NDC is stealing in the name of the poor – Sir John
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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of conniving with friends and family to steal from the country.
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According to the party, the Mahama-led administration, in the name of stash away cash in the name of sole-sourcing have shoved aside laid-down procedures in the awarding of contracts in order to enrich themselves.
At a press conference in Accra, the former General Secretary of the party, Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie accused the NDC of bloating the cost of projects, citing the cost of construction of boreholes by Animax Drilling Company of Ghana at GH¢18,000 instead of GH¢12,000.
“Now, construction of a borehole, as a matter of fact, should not qualify as an emergency to be offered on a sole-sourcing basis. Again, the price-tag for a mechanized bore-hole, according to players in the industry, should not be more than GH¢18,000, irrespective of the area or location. To drill a mechanized borehole ranges between GH¢12,000 and GH¢18,000 anywhere in Ghana on the open market.
“As matter of fact, a company like Animax Drilling Company of Ghana, quotes a mechanized bore-hole within the Greater Accra Region at Gh¢14,000, and a maximum of GH¢18,000 is quoted for same in any part of the country, irrespective of area, location and soil make-up,” he said.
Below is the full statement
“They steal in the name of helping the poor”
A statement by Kwadwo “Sir John” Owusu Afriyie
Ladies and gentlemen, I have decided, in my capacity as a concerned citizen of Wonuo, in Ghana, to hold this press conference because I am worried about the path that President John Dramani Mahama and his friends and family are taking this country on. If we allow it to continue a day beyond January 7, 2017, there will be no future for Ghana. It would probably take us another generation to recover.
Just this morning, I saw some research work done by Nana Attobrah and his Danquah Institute that estimates that some GH¢12 billion worth of contracts secured under sole sourcing since 2010 had their costs inflated by 65%. What this means is that Ghana could have saved as much as GH¢7.8 billion in public funds, equivalent to $2 billion in today’s deflated currency.
Before I go on to my other main case on how Mahama is killing Ghana, let me make this important point. My point is this: President Mahama is dangerous to our country. He is killing us softly with a lethal potion of his charm offensive and offensive corruption.
Typically, what would cost GH¢100 to do Mahama would do it for GH¢400. Let me break it down in another way. What it means is that with the amount of money John Mahama and his NDC has spent, Ghana should have developed at least four times faster. If running a country is all about taxing, borrowing, spending and stealing then every graduate from Nsawam Medium Security is more than qualified to be President.
President Mahama’s own Finance Minister is worried about how Ghana will find money to honour the GH¢60 billion in interest payments due for the next three years, starting 2017. What we know is that more than half of the GH¢112 billion which the country now owes is made up of corrupt deals, pure and simple. If we keep President Mahama in office for another four years I might be forced to leave my farm in Wonuo and seek economic refugee status elsewhere. But, I am too old and love my country too much. Unfortunately, I won’t be alone in being forced to consider migrating. The good news is that I have no intention to leave Ghana. So we must all do what we can to make sure Mahama gives us no reason to want to leave and that means kicking him out with our thumb. Tens of thousands of graduates without jobs do not want to leave Ghana to be economic refugees or illegal immigrants anywhere. But, if things continue like this dumsor would return; public sector workers would be sacked; hospitals would have no medicines; nurses and teachers would not be paid; our roads would get worse.
What would even be worse is that I do not think Ghana would be able to control the anger of the hungry youth who see no hope in their future. We need to urgently give them hope. The truth is that Mahama is a threat to the peace and security of our nation. He is threat not only because he is a tribalist, but more so because he kills hope. Corruption kills and if corruption kills then the man whose greedy hands are constantly on the trigger of corruption must be stopped to stop corruption killing Ghana.
Without Mahama, Ghana can do four times better. With Mahama Ghana is spending four times more than what is needed to develop. Another four years of Mahama would make us four times poorer. If his government can be this corrupt, reckless, uncaring and incompetent when he knew he would be facing re-election in 2016, then just imagine what he would be if given a final term where he would not have to worry about re-election. I fear for Ghana. I fear for Wonuo.
