Mahama can't absolve himself of the bus branding saga – Bonful

A member of Citizen Ghana Movement, Ato Bonful, says President John Dramani Mahama cannot absolve himself of the public busses that were controversially branded at a whopping GHC3.6 million.

He argued the wording of the letter from the chief director of the Transport Ministry to the Public Procurement Authority suggests the president authorized the contract to be awarded to Smarttys.

“If you look at, for instance, the chief director's letter to the procurement agency to get the authorization for sole sourcing, he stated there that the presidency has instructed them. So you see, the president cannot even absolve himself from this because it is coming from his office and that’s a very painful disclosure that we are finding out,” he said.

He told 3FM that his group is yet to receive the document containing the contract signed between the Ministry of Transport and Smarttys to rebrand 116 Metro Mass Transit busses.

“We haven’t received it as we speak… I will not be surprised if the Attorney General’s statement to the executive is taken out because that is the plan thing that gives our lawyers a prima facie” he stated.

He underscored the need for the right to information bill to be passed, noting that would help in exposing some of these shady deals.

“Those are the things that the right to information bill will cure because now it will be difficult for you to do something without us knowing,” he said
It emerged December last year that the government spent an outrageous GHC3, 649, 004 from the Ghana oil funds to re-brand the 116 Metro Mass Rapid Transit buses; something that attracted hue and cry.

The Chief of Staf, Julius Debrah consequently directed the Attorney General “to review the contract and associated payment(s)”, following public backlash.
A letter dated December 17, 2015 gave the Attorney General, Marrieta Brew Appiah-Oppong, up to December 21, 2015 to submit its findings.

In her report the AG, Mrs. Appiah-Opong found that there were no cost comparisons to what was submitted by the private company, Smartty’s Management, because of the method of procurement and the procedures used.

A statement issued by Mr Debrah said "the procurement method did not also ensure value for money," and consequently directed the AG to retrieve the GHC1.9 million being what the statement described as "excess payment made for the service rendered".

"Independent consultations made by the Attorney General with some leading motor firms in the country confirmed that the contract would have been executed at a cheaper cost if other bids were considered and price comparisons made," the statement said.

Meanwhile, the backlash from the public forced Transport Minister, Dzifa Attivor to resign her ministerial portfolio, and thanked the NDC government "for the opportunity offered her to serve, first as Deputy Minister of Transport under the late President JEA Mils, and later as the substantive Minister”.

The Citizen Movement Ghana sued the attorney general and the Ministry of Transport for a full disclosure of the content of the contract following which an Accra High Court in April this year ordered the government to makes full disclosure on the contract.