The Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta, as well as the Director-General of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) must all step aside for a full-scale investigation into the developments that led to the takeover of power supply by the Power Distribution Services (PDS), Victor Smith, Ghana’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) has said.
He also asked the Chef Executive Officers for the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) to also step aside.
The government of Ghana recently suspended its concession agreement with PDS.
The decision was communicated via a press release by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah on Tuesday, 30 July 2019.
The statement said the action to put the agreement on hold was necessitated by “the detection of fundamental and material breaches of PDS’ obligation in the provision of Payment Securities (Demand Guarantees) for the transaction which has been discovered upon further due diligence”.
The government said a full probe has been initiated into the agreement and steps have been taken to ensure that “distribution, billing and payment services continue uninterrupted”.
Commenting on this matter in a statement, Mr Smith said : “For an honest, thorough and credible investigation to be accepted by the good people of Ghana and the whole world, Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who clearly is in the eye of the storm, must do the honourable and decent thing and step aside during this period of investigation into this PDS saga, at the very least.
“But not only him, a number of his close associates, especially those from Data Bank and Enterprise Group, who are all involved in this scandalous embarrassment to the government and the nation, must also be interdicted pronto.
“My honest and non-partisan appeal to the President is that he must ensure that there is no attempt to cover up in this investigation. I believe that any more poor handling of investigations into scandals under his administration could precipitate into unrest of gargantuan proportion that can stifle this nation's efforts to progress.”
Meanwhile, the Minority in Ghana’s legislature has also called for the prosecution of all those behind the “fraudulent” agreement signed between the PDS Limited and the government of Ghana, in relation to the takeover of Ghana’s national power supply by the private firm from the ECG.
Mr John Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu and a former Deputy Minister of Power, at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, 1 August 2019, called on the government to terminate the contract immediately.
“Terminate the Concession Agreement with immediate effect,” he said.
He added: “Identify and prosecute those responsible for the fraudulent guarantee as confirmed by the Minister of Energy; ensure a full refund of all monies appropriated by PDS through this fraudulent scheme; dissolve the current ECG Board and appoint a competent non-partisan board; and restructure the current management of ECG and ensure they sign performance bonds with management for the efficient supply of power to Ghanaians.”
Source: classfmonline.com
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Talk is cheap....what is this Victor Smith man saying? Ano-kware mpo!!!! I've said it somewhere and will repeat it here again that NDC members should be the last people to talk about corruption and infractions in NPP...Fact is, it was NPP that detected the PDS 'scandal' and initiated moves to correct it. NDC would have swept it under the carpet. Sad even that Betty Mould Idd. of all people has the nerve to talk about this issue...Betty Woyome Mould??? Let me keep quiet before I slip. Is she not ashamed to even speak in public to Ghanaians..aaba!! Please Martin SP Amidu, get to work and start bringing all who've stolen in the past and present government to book...time is running out.
This incompetent f00l is still around? He should take his advice to his more incompetent mahama
Hyp0cr!te! You only see the need to ask ministers to resign when you are in opposition. When your party was in government and you were spreading money all over campaigning to be MP, did you stop to talk of anyone resigning? You and the likes of your character should just bow out of the political space and let's have our peace. $tup!d
Did you advise your government which was full of scandals to set aside appointees like you to be investigated? Kejetia kronfuo his hand is in your pocket/bag and he will be the first to shout akronfuo ooo, okronfuo ooo! and that is the tactics ndc are using it but Ghanaians are very discerning and watchful! if anything ndc are not the best to advise since they are the worst thi*eves on this part of Africa hence they look for friends but not others looking for them to be friends ! Ghana is now being called America of Africa by Africans , during Papa Kuffuor's time Africans became proud of Ghana anytime ndc is in power Africa is shut down because the gate way was closed not because there were no people but because they were dumb and lacked kritical thinkers but very active and loud in opposition when the gate way is opened and business is flourishing they try to get it shut down with their birdbrains to make it look everyone is like them but Insha Allah who God has blessed nobody can curse! The glory and honour of Ghana is on the rise in the double double and no ndc black cat can cross our path. Ghana is moving forward, Ghana will succeed! If Ghana doesn't bring down ndc, ndc will bring down Ghana and we will never allow them#We shall Overcome# Forward Ever#Backwards never in the course of freedom #progress and prosperity of Ghana and Africa!