Opinions of Monday, 5 September 2011

Columnist: Quaye, Stephen A.

Three Billion Chinese Loan For “Waratu Warasa” Projects?

From: Stephen A.Quaye, Toronto-Canada.

The parliamentary approval given to the government’s request to contract 3billion dollars from China is still creating more questions that need to be answered by the government as to what projects the loan will be used to accomplish.

Uptil now no one knows what types of projects the facility is going to help the government of the day to tackle. I do not know neither do you reader also knows because the government is refusing to tell us all which projects the money is going to be used for.

Should we ask the president to tell us what the loan facility is meant for? Of course it is the same tax payer who will be tasked to pay. No but where does president Atta Mills gets his money to run the country?

Apart from the Cocoa, natural resources like gold, diamond, others like timber palm oil and salt where does it get its monitory support from? Is it not the tax money it collects from the people that generates a quantum of it for use?

Therefore every Ghanaian tax payer has the right to ask the president to explain to him what that “chin chon chin” loan is going to be used for because in the long run the country will have to pay back the loan and it is the same people who will pay not he Atta Mills as a person. Does the Alfred Ogbame’s described rubberstamp law makers even know what the loan they went to just say” hear, hear” with their thumps pointing to the roof of building even knows what it will be used for before approving it?

As mandated of them, did they consult the people they represent in the law making house to solicit their views on the loan before giving their approval for the government to collect the “EKA” for Ghanaians to pay later?

Absolutely not because if they did, we would have heard some of the law makers presenting the objectionable views of their constituents as far as the loan agreement was concern as some of us living in a foreign country have been observing as far as the business of the government is concern.

This time round, were those “MUMU” members of parliament as a chief in the central region has described silent MPS heard shouting ‘hear, hear?”. If they were heard this time apart from all other businesses then a further probe must be conducted as to why. Maybe money changed hands to influence them.

What did the MP for Lower Manya Krobo Constituency Michael Teye Nyaunu say on that day of parliamentary approval? Did he object it because it was presented to parliament by President Atta Mills whom he described in so many uncertain terms or just also spoke the “chin chon chin” language on that day?

Everybody is complaining as to what the loan the tax professor is contracting from China will be used for but he is shielding the information from the ordinary people whiles giving more room for suspicion that it will be sprayed on electorates to give him a second term in office as some DCEs in Ashante Region have started demonstrating.

What is surprising is when the ordinary people complained about it and demanded explanation of what is going to be used for; no explanation came from the castle.

Immediately, the opposition members started to drum home the need for the president to come out on the three billion dollar loan, ah, vituperations, tantrums started to fly all over from radio station discussions and what have you.

Is the tax professor refusing to tell us that he was chased to do so by the persistent calls from my respected chief Togbega Gabusu who insisted that the old man at the helm of affairs at the castle must improve the lives of his subjects as he has promised to do during the campaign season made him run to China for the loan to fulfill his promise to the people of Hohoe traditional area?

Anyway prior to contracting the loan, you and I saw the president embarking on nationwide campaign but described as nationwide tour by the president where on several occasions he was shown on T.V. using pick axe and shovel to break the ground and shove off sand to commence projects.

This “waratu warasa” style of initiation of projects definitely needs money to accomplish therefore where there is no money to initiate a project but a president goes to the people and use “waratu warasa” style to promise them a project, he must look for the money.

Hey, do not blame the president for going for the loan. Even if it is to complete the “waratu warasa” projects he initiated, he must be commended for making an effort to do so.

But the question of one million answers being asked still is what will he use the money for? How will the country pay back such a loan facility? Mr. President please come out otherwise we will suspect that it is for your “waratu,warasa” project which many Ghanaians do not agree to that.

Is the three billion dollar Chinese loan for “Waratu Warasa” projects? We do not know Mr. President must come out.