The National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi has disclosed that the much-publicized Tema Motorway expansion has been bridled with corruption, payments for no job done and arm-twisting pushing out the international consortium originally contracted to execute the project.
Citing the Auditor General’s report on the consolidated statements of foreign exchange receipts and payments of the Bank of Ghana for 2022, Mr Sammy Gyamfi noted with concern, findings that show how the Akufo-Addo Bawumia led government of siphoned billions of cedis of the tax payer’s money through several sole-sourced contracts, now virtually abandoned.
Mr Gyamfi who hosts NDC360, a political programme designed to set the records straight and educate Ghanaians on John Mahama’a policy proposals, referred to table 11 of the report, titled – “Progress Payments of Payments for Contractors for 2021 and 2022”, pages 22 to 33 to back his presentation.
According to the Auditor General’s report, M/S Morta-Engil Engenharia E Contrucao Africa SA, for example was paid $2.577million for no job done on the Tema Motorway and Extensions Project.
He backed this with a publication by Africa Intelligence, a leading professional Web site specialising in political and economic developments in Africa, dated Wednesday, May 22, 2024 which said among other things, that “Having won the tender to upgrade the highway between Accra and the port of Tema earlier this year, the international consortium headed by Portugal’s Morta-Engil has now had its contract, terminated without explanation”.
The Host of NDC360, who is also the National Communications Officer of the NDC, further noted that, this particular project was awarded without Parliamentary approval, in full breach of the law.
“As if this scandal is not enough, the Auditor General’s report also paid a whopping $2million to Africa Investment (Ai) Sky Train consortium, a South African group for no job done after an agreement signed on November 8, 2018” he added.
Mr Gyamfi in his Corruption Tracker series, further said sadly, these monies were siphoned from the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund.
“This fund was established by former President John Mahama, solely to mobilize private capital to finance infrastructure projects in Ghana John Mahama. The Nana Akufo-Addo Bawumia led government have not added a pesewa yet, they are draining the coffers of funds intended to help facilitate infrastructure development” – he added
Sammy Gyamfi asked .. Which country will tolerate this level of corruption and incompetence. You doll out over 30billion old cedis to a company which has no license and did no feasibility studies?”
“These are people who said ..’We have the men, we have the men”? Fact is they are men who have expertise in stealing, broad day-light stealing” – he lamented further.
The NDC Communications Officer served notice, that the next NDC government will prosecute those behind the fraudulent deals and retrieve all stolen monies.
Aside the batched Tema Motorway and the Sky Train projects, Sammy Gyamfi also reminded Ghanaians of the whopping $11.95million paid M/S PoweChina for non existent Pwalugu Dam as exposed by the Auditor General.
Wrapping up the Moment of Truth segment, Mr Sammy Gyamfi cautioned – ‘Dr Bawumia is complicit. A vote for Dr Bawumia is a vote for President Nana Akufo Addo’s third term and if you want accountability, vote for John Mahama’
