The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, says it would be better for the country to deny the alleged cabal involved in the $48 million contract allegedly awarded by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) the money than for the country to accumulate more debt.
This follows the MP’s petition to the World Bank to launch an investigation into the contract for the procurement of connectivity needs intended to increase high-speed government connectivity to district centers, hospitals, police stations, and post offices in five lots under the eTransform Project.
According to the former Deputy Education Minister, the $48 million Ascend contract for the project did not go through the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), which he says is a clear violation.
As such, speaking in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM in Accra on Wednesday, Mr. Ablakwa stressed the pressing need for the cabal to be stopped as a matter of urgency to avert any future implications for the country.
“Let me humbly tell the Ghanaian people that it would be in our best interest to lose this money than for this money to go to the Nigerian cabal who have a long track record of not getting the job done.”
“These monies are loans, let’s be clear. They are not grants, so you and I are going to pay. So while others are using underhand dealings, insider dealings, conflicts of interest, and they have this unholy alliance that they are abusing to virtually grab all the juicy contracts in that space, we are going to pay with interest while they smile all the way to the bank,” he stated.