The Member of Parliament for North-Tongu constituency, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has unveiled the unprecedented corruption related acts which could cause Ghana a gigantic judgement debt of USD$3.6 billion.
According to Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the government which is being led by President Akufo-Addo have ink the construction contract for the building of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal (BILT) in the Ashanti Region which was scheduled to be completed in the year 2023 yet, the project is has not been completed and it is currently stunted.
“Why is the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government engaged in another round of sleazy recklessness which would potentially saddle Ghana with a scary judgement debt of some US$3.6billion?
“On the 5th of November, 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cut sod for construction of the $330 million Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal (BILT) in the Ashanti Region.
“The President at the sod cutting assured the nation, including His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who was the special guest of honour that the Boankra project will be completed in 2023.
“The President’s sod cutting came after Parliament on the 14th of August, 2020 approved by resolution a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) Concessionary Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Ashanti Port Services Limited (a consortium of Afum Quality Ltd Ghana and DSS Associates of South Korea) for an amount of US$330,000,000.00 for the development of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal. (See parliamentary resolution attached).”
Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa claimed that, the legal processes where not regarded “Documents I have intercepted from multiple official sources reveal that this parliamentary resolution has been flagrantly and violently flouted, particularly, by the Minister responsible for Transport, Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah.
“The Transport Minister after unanimously altering the parties to the parliamentary resolution without recourse to Parliament has subsequently proceeded to terminate the concession agreement, also without the consent nor approval of īParliament. This termination supposedly took effect from 5th August, 2023. (See confirmation of Minister’s termination attached)
“The Minister for Transport’s preference for a company known as Justmoh Construction Limited which is unknown to Parliament under the approved BILT resolution is most bizarre.
“All parties have informed me, without contradiction, that Justmoh Construction Limited was a direct imposition by the Transport Minister. I have seen board minutes to this effect.
Plus, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa zeroed in on the fact that, he could not phantom the sense of reasoning for which the same government would prosecute other political actors for flouting the Parliament resolution.
“The stark irony is that this is the same government currently prosecuting the Hon. Collins Dauda, Hon. Dr. Kweku Agyeman-Mensah and others for allegedly reviewing a parliamentary resolution on the Saglemi Housing Project without an amendment or approval by Parliament.
“Why is the Transport Minister, regardless of ongoing prosecutions of political opponents, unilaterally amending and disregarding a parliamentary resolution with utter impunity?”
He added “Tomorrow is indeed pregnant.”
“The intercepted documents in my possession also confirm that the Transport Minister has in addition to all his rambo-style illegalities ensured that payment of a colossal US$33,300,000.00 equivalent to a staggering GHS449.5million has been made under extremely dubious circumstances to the Minister’s handpicked company — Justmoh Construction Limited. (More details on this in Part 2)”
“Further investigations reveal that Justmoh was selected and paid over GHS400million without regard to the procurement laws of Ghana.
“Indeed, the Transport Minister concedes in his termination confirmation letter of November 21, 2023 that he will now ensure “Ghana Shippers takes the necessary processes to regularize the re-engagement” of Justmoh.
“As could be predicted, these grave violations have now become the subject of fierce internal wrangling with the parties (Ashanti Port Services Limited and the Minister’s Justmoh Construction Limited) currently slugging it out at Arbitration.
“Further checks establish that the Transport Minister has been unable to justify his actions as a request from the Attorney General to him to respond to a petition against the Transport Minister’s conduct dated December 19, 2023 remains contemptuously ignored. (See Attorney General’s letter attached).
“Meanwhile, it has also emerged through additional documentation I am reviewing that the preparatory works carried out by the Transport Minister’s handpicked company, Justmoh, do not guarantee value.”
