Drop Smartty’s from $92m electrification project - MP

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP’s) Member of Parliament (MP) for Obuasi East Constituency Edward Ennin has called on the Mahama led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to drop Smartty’s Company Limited from the rural electrification project contract.

Smartty’s Company Limited, owned by Actress Selassi Ibrahim is a local representative for the Chinese Company Hunan Group on a loan facility for electrification which will take place in some rural communities in the country.
The Minority in Parliament is kicking against Smartty’s involvement in the contract, calling for abrogation of the contract.

Speaking on Ultimate breakfast show hosted by Prince Minkah, the Obuasi East MP explained that the local company has a bad record.

According to him, Smartty’s is the same company involved in the infamous re-branding of Metro Mass Transit buses (MMT) with embossed images of President Mahama and past Presidents which cost the country millions of cedis.

‘The Members of Minority are not kicking against the contract itself, I believe the contract is a nice thing to go by, as they try to extend electricity to communities and small towns in the country, it’s not a bad thing. The problem is the local contractor who is representing the company here called Smartty’s’.

‘Smartty’s as we know is the same company that was given the bus re-branding and we know what has happened to Ghana due to that contract, so much money was given to this woman, which has no basis, and even as am speaking to you. We are all aware that government is fighting this company to pay back the monies, huge amount that was given to her,’ he asserted.

The Deputy Ranking Member of Committee on Mines and Energy indicated that government should have done due diligence by asking the parent company to repeal Smartty’s contract.

‘Any advanced country that believes in good governance, as we claim that we are practising good governance, will never ever tolerate this kind of thing, any good governance country would have asked the parent company, or the foreign company to drop the local contractor because it has a bad record, and it has duped the country, there are evidence about the MMT bus re-branding business,’ he pointed out.

Asked if he is aware about government’s position which states that it is dealing with the Chinese company and does not know Smartty’s as partners to the latter, he retorted that the Deputy Minister of Energy is being funny.

‘The Deputy Minister of Power is being funny here, what is he talking about? When you take the main contract book, the name is there. He met with the Committee, and we asked him those questions, you see how some of these Ministers behave when they are talking to media people. We told them to drop Smartty’s company, sit down with her to step aside,’ the livid MP said.

The project will provide about 556 towns and villages with electricity in Eastern, Volta and Northern Regions.