Opinions of Friday, 30 July 2010

Columnist: Adjei-Gyamfi, Godwin

Too Much Incompetence, Corruption, And Waste In NDC

The Youth Of Ghana Say There Is Too Much Incompetence, Corruption, And Waste In The Ndc

We have seen that the government has ample of time to waste by debating a farcical and controversial STX housing deal, serve to benefit no body but to waste tax payer’s money.

So can they therefore make effective use of their time by debating the following issues?

Why were hours, days, weeks and months spent on considering, reviewing and debating the controversial and ill drafted “contract” through our legislative house?

Why the severe lack of initial and full disclosure of the technical details of the deal? For example apparent lack of identified sites for most of the project, the total absence of designs, the absence of quantities, cost per unit and the company financing the deal.
The covert and KGB style debate adopted by the government over the controversial STX housing deal is unconstitutional.

After all our constitution dictates that prior to debate parliamentarians are to be furnished with all the necessary details and documentations so that they can deliberate over the issue with due diligence.

So why wasn’t this constitutional requirement adhered to, as those preparing the debate were under a constitutional obligation?
It follows that unless this constitutional obligation is met, the government can not reintroduce the “contract” to the House again.

In any event, why did the government sought to enter in to a “contractual agreement” with STX for a loan, when the latter IS NOT a registered lender?
It follows that under Ghana civil law it is illegal for parliament to approve a loan with STX, unless it has been licensed by the Bank of Ghana as a lender.

Those who prepared the deal had been grossly incompetent and inept.

We call upon the NDC government to put their parliamentarians to good use and for the benefit of the country by debating the above issues as they are of national interest. They are the Majority but they are riddled with personal interest.

The deal was dead from the start and not worthy of ink and paper.

Why was the “contract” submitted before our legislatures for approval when it was in a mere draft form and not the final contact?

Our current government has lost focus and is saddled with waste, corruption, lack of vision and incompetence.

Betty Mould Idrissu, Attorney General and the government’s most senior lawyer had taken her eyes of the ball. Instead of advising the president over the deal, she was probably more concerned about her next appointment to her hair dressers in the UK. Why would a full AG travel to the UK to simply look at an SFO file? This is embarrassing as such a duty could have been assigned to a senior prosecutor.

Corruptions because the delegation members of the controversial STX deal received gifts from the Korean company which can be term as inducement, hence corruption. This is the very cancer of our society which John Hardy QC (lead prosecutor in the corruption case of Mabey and Johnson) spoke about during his visit to Ghana in 2010.

We must fight this canker that is disturbing and raping our nation of our wealth.
The former Minister of Water, Resources, Works and Housing, Hon. Albert Abongo denies that the gifts could have compromised their judgement in respect of the controversial STX housing deal.
I question his credibility and that of the government as regards their moral standing when it comes to issues of corruption in our country.
Was it not shocking that the former sports minister Alhaj Muntaka, of all the mounting of evidence of corruption that was levelled against him went Scot free.

Third explanation is severe lack of judgement, for example the current minister for Water, Resources, Works and Housing, Alban Bagbin and the Finance Minister kwabena Duffour, ought to have known that it was illegal and unconstitutional to support and push through parliament such a controversial deal which not only wasted parliamentarian time but also caused our nation a financial loss. For Chris sake Ghana deserves better!


Our youth networks across Ghana have received total emails of 795 from young Ghanaians, majority from TESCON calling on the following individuals to resign:

The A.G BETTY MOULD
They say she should resign for showing severe lack of legal knowledge, conviction, gross negligence and incompetence over the controversial STX housing deal. She could have at least read the contact and advice the government, this she failed to do!

The Minister for Water, Resources, Works and Housing ALBAN BAGBIN.

They say he should step down as a result of incompetence, inept, lacking judgement and causing our nation financial loss.

The Finance Minister KWABENA DUFFOUR

They say he should also resign for causing financial loss to our nation by encouraging the financial deal with a company which is not a registered lender or licensed by the Bank of Ghana. Had he conducted due diligence checks, the company’s status would have been apparent.

Our members call upon our noble President Mills to address the above issues and investigate the above three major players with a view to sacking them to discourage others from going the same way and calling for a cross party talk on the controversial STX housing deal.

Yours truly,

Godwin Adjei-Gyamfi
Patriotic Ghanaian