Deputy Upper East Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Elvis Figo A. Awonekai, has exposed former President John Dramani Mahama.
He said when Mr Mahama was president he always flew to the region because the roads were not in good shape, adding “But he did nothing about it and is rather turning round to create the impression that he has the people in the area at heart.”
The NPP regional secretary also said that the processes leading to the award of the contract for the construction of the Bolgatanga-Bawku Road that Mr. Mahama claimed had been abandoned by President Akufo-Addo’s NPP government was not transparent.
He added that it was awarded when his (Mahama’s) National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was on its way out of office.
Clear Incitement
During the so-called NDC ‘Unity Walk’ at Bolgatanga over the weekend, Mr Mahama appeared to incite the people of the Upper East Region against President Akufo-Addo when he said he (Akufo-Addo) had not done anything for the people over there.
“A lot of the projects we started have stalled. Many of the hospitals we were building have come to a stop. Many of the schools we were building have come to a stop. Many of the roads we were building have come to a stop. But I have one appeal. If there was one project that we started, that is critical to the economic development of the Upper West Region, it is the Bolga-Bawku road,” the former president posited.
“If President Akufo-Addo won’t do anything for us in Upper East at all, we beg him, as for that road, he should continue it and finish it for us,” Mr Mahama emphasised.
Hypocrisy
However, Mr. Awonekai, in an open letter, says the former president’s ‘concerns’ for the people of the region smack of hypocrisy.
“The 116km road contract was awarded on 7th December, 2016 – elections day. Interestingly, Mr. John Dramani Mahama during his ‘accounting to the people’ tour, had cut the sod, at Lamboya, near Zebilla, for the construction of the same road on Monday, 11th July, 2016, where he landed with a helicopter in a Hollywood style for sod cutting.
“The sod cutting was to enable him come to the Upper East Region because he had made assurance to the chiefs and people of Bawku while speaking at the 27th annual SAMANPIID Festival celebrated by the Kusuag people in the Bawku municipality,” Mr. Awonekai claimed.
Mode of Payment
According to the NPP deputy regional secretary, “Payment certificates as contained in the contract are to be paid from the Road Fund. This is not the right source for funding the contract.”
He said, “The magnitude of the contract (over $600 million) requires that payment be effected directly from the budget and not from the Road Fund. The Road Fund was established for the preservation of Ghana’s road network and not for the payment of big constructions such as this.
“The road is 116km long. Thirteen kilometers out of this have been awarded to a Ghanaian contractor – MAWUMS Constructions Ltd – as a special contract. The remaining 103km have been awarded to a Brazilian contractor – Queiroz Galvao. The reason for awarding such a special contract to MAWUMS Constructions Ltd is still questionable.”
Mr. Awonekai asked the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, “to take keen interest in this sole-sourced contract awarded by Mr. Mahama’s government,” insisting that “the processes leading to the contract, being sole-sourced, are suspicious and in breach of the Public Procurement Act.
Congratulation
He said he was ‘congratulating’ “the good chiefs and people of Upper East Region for making Mr. John Dramani Mahama to walk on our soil.
“Hitherto it has always been helicopter from Accra to venue grounds in the region with the excuse that we are very far. This eventually led to the unprecedented 44.4% which is still fresh in our minds.”
The NPP regional secretary continued, “Mr Mahama, I am a Frafra from Tanzui Bolgatanga, I am ‘your brother’ as you like it, but to be fair and honest, you are Ghana’s biggest problem and a disappointment to Upper East Region. We are disappointed in you because you presided over impunity, immorality and an internationalized looter government with corruption as its hallmark.”
He said, “Since your unprecedented and humiliating defeat, the NPP government has demonstrated its willingness and commitment to work hard towards addressing the numerous challenges facing region.
“It’s rather unfortunate that whenever Mr. John Dramani Mahama gets the opportunity to speak to unite the NDC, he ends up using the platform to insult, abuse, disrespect the good people of Ghana in one way or the other.”
Source: Daily Guide
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Needless comments! The rebuttal from the Dep Sec is ridiculous. How long should it take to investigate and allegations of this nature? Give us a break! All our finances are going into Free SHS and nothing left for development. Commentators should continue to live in their euphoria of a victory that happen over 18 months ago and do not work on the ground, you will be shocked by the defeat of the NPP. Some of us have regretted voting the NPP
Fellow Ghanaians, If we have to take out NPP by all means please let's find some other party to bring into power not NDC please! They are the same as we have seen for ourselves. Or better still we the voters should come together and tell the politicians wat exactly wat we want. Whichever party is willing to give us that we vote them into power. If they fail to fulfil we ask de other party if they will do it, if yes we give them the power and throw the current one out!
You guys are on your way out. Trust the Ghanaian voter.
JDM keep sneezing. Anytime you sneezes NPP catches serious cold. They have to marshall all their bigwigs to parred with insults as their trade mark.
Keep Sneezing Mr. Prez (JDM)... Its really Catching Them.... LoL
Ex-President Mahama has purchased the patent for INCOMPETENCE. No matter how many comparative or superlative adjectives you add they can't change the bonafide owner (MAHAMA). Whether More incompetent, Most incompetent, Super incompetent, Ultra incompetent, or Hyper incompetent, they refer to only one man. He can decide to have franchises in other countries but, surely, not in Ghana. His actions, in-actions, posture and behaviour in opposition show the ingenuity in those who identified the trait of INCOMPETENCE in him. UNITY WALK? Mr Mahama can never unite any group on this mother earth. Ghana is blessed to have got rid of him. Bravo Mr. Awonekai, you have spoken the whole truth and nothing but the truth!
Anytime this Mahama guy goes up north, he tries to play the tribal card. You were in office for 8 years, and could not complete that road. You boast of circle interchange, but can you boast of a single asphalted road in the Upper East region? Now you are out, you go there and try to create a "we and them" situation just to boost your political fortunes. Why can't you for once put up some level-headed behaviour? What at all do you want from God and this country again?
Mahama used the so called UNITY WALK to launch his come back and test his popularity in NDC but we can assure him that so far as he told us he is "ODWAN FUNU"we are prepared for him come 2020.We will end his political career and we strongly believe Hon. Bagbin and Prof. can come in(2024).John is a Conman we know Him but the defeat that awaits Him is bigger than Ever.