NDC Member of Parliament(MP) for North Tongu constituency and Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says some trustees of the National Cathedral project may end up in prison in the near future.
According to him, there has been some procurement breaches with regards to the construction of the National Cathedral.
Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that per the Public Procurement Act 2003, Act 663, when public funds no matter how small it may be are being expended on a project, the procurement act rules must apply.
Trustees of the National Cathedral at a press conference addressed by the former Chairman of the Pentecost Church, Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyinah, explained that the cathedral had been registered since July 2019 as public company and so it is no longer a private initiative of the churches.
The procurement laws as amended states that any public institution who will want to engage or construct any project must go through the public procurement authority and even if you are not a public entity but government will want to support your project with public funds, you must go through the public procurement authority for approval.
It is also instructive to note that Section 14(1)(a) of Act 663 makes clear that Ghana’s procurement laws apply once the project is financed in whole or in part from public funds.
"But per the response to my letter by the public procurement authority, it is most shocking to know that the public procurement authority was not engaged in any of the procurement activities of anything relating to the national cathedral.
"Section 14(2)(e) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) is unambiguous that state owned enterprises to the extent that they utilise public funds are subject to Act 663.
"There is also no evidence that Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta followed due process to make an exception as provided for under the law after my painstaking checks of all Gazette publications as demanded by Section 14(3) of Act 663," Okudzeto Ablakwa said.
He explained further that, "when procurement laws are not respected and cronies are cherry-picked as in this instant case, there is no value for money, Ghana is shortchanged financially and technically; this therefore explains why the National Cathedral project cost has become a corrupt moving target from the initial US$100million to US$200miilion, then US$250million, rising to US$350million and now US$400million."
" . . it is worthy to note that this Akufo-Addo government has prosecuted political opponents and succeeded in jailing some, and then serving as an elated conveyor belt in a conspiracy that removed an Electoral Commissioner from office, all for alleged procurement breaches, none of those procurement infractions measure up to this egregious transgression.
"The trustees of the National Cathedral like the revered man of God, my very own respected Eastwood Anaba and former Chairman of the Church of Pentecost Apostle Dr. Opoku Onyinah must all thread cautiously because some people have ended up in prison for violating these same procurement laws," he cautioned.
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Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]
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This baby with acidic teeth has nothing to say about John Ford Mahama's Airbus bribery, Kanazoe ford bribery, bus branding bribery, double salary by some of their own colleague MPs...(name the rest) ........ Some of these NDC people are ev!l and will not go to heaven.
OKUDZATO ALAKWA IS ***barred word*** ***barred word*** HAVE NO SENSE DO A LOT OF POLITICS THINKING GHANAIANS ARE FOOOOOOOLS TO VOTE FOR THEIR INCOMPETENT LEADERS TO LOOOOOOOT GHANA NEVER NEVER NEVER AGAIN BUNCH ***barred word***, ARROGANT, UNRULLY INDIVIDUALS. ASSHOLES UNEDUCATED INDIVIDUALS. ***barred word*** MAHAMA COMING WHERE SUPREME COURT CASES THROWNOOOOOUT ***barred word*** PEOPLE LIKE ABLAKWA, HURUNA, TAMACLOE ARE REAL LOOOOOOOOOOSERS MAHAMA COMING WHERE PURE USELEESSSS LOOOOOOOSER THIS MAN JOHN THIE F MAHAMA IS COMMUNICATION MAJOR TRAINED IN USELESSSSSS RUSSIA DOESN'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ECONOMICS AND LAW BUT WANT TO BE A LEADER AND MESSSSS OUR ECONOMY AS HE DID DURING HIS TERM IN OFFICE SIGNED ALL KINDS OF TAKE OR PAY AGREEMENTS WITH POWER PRODUCERS AND ENI THE GAS SUPLLIER AT A HIGH COST THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. GHANA AND GHANAIANS DON'T NEED SUCH A USE LESS LOOOOOOOOOOOOOSERS WHO CANNOT GET IT AS A LOOOOOOOOOSERS NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU SPEAK TO THIS MAN IN PLAIN ENGLISH STILL DOESN'T GET IT DEAD GOA TTTT, CREATED THE GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT AND BUT STILL DOESN'T GET IT, COMPLETE ***barred word***.
Because of politics, these babies with SHARP TEETH do not respect anybody in Ghana since!
These same guys did similar propaganda in 2008 against NPP and Ghanaians believed them and voted them to power. Are all these a repeat of what happened in 2008? NPP take note! Who speaks for NPP now?
Well understood, Ablakwa can you be truthful enough to explain to the good people in Ghana where you got all the money stolen from your car booth at the washing bay during the Era you guys were holding Ghana hostage?
They should make a mistake and touch any man of God and see.. they will smell pepper. It's unfortunate the inadequacies of the Akuffo Addo government has given nonentities like Ablakwa voice.
Who is this I.di.ot!
Ablakwa thinks the Courts are there to be manipulated by whoever is in power. Big mistake. The judges are men of straw, caliber and reputation and will not succumb to any threats. Mark my words, Ablakwa and the NDC in general will in the next near future apologize to God and man for fighting this Cathedral building. We live to see. Some Ghanaians may have short memories but are certainly not ***barred word*** and weak minded to be hoodwinked into voting for the NDC and Mahama who have nothing good to offer this nation except reckless politics, hooliganism and wanton dissipation of the tax payers money. The records are there - some NDC appointees in the erstwhile Mahama's administration are in jail for corruption and others are in court as we speak. NDC cannot be better than the NPP - Ghanaians be ware!!!
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who do you think you are threatening these reputable men of God? Eii what has come over you? You and your Imani guys. Is it because of politics? God have mercy?
Given the NDC's diabolical politics toward the ruling party, the NPP, Ghanaian voters will not entrust their votes to the irresponsible NDC for their own good. The party that relies and hangs on unsubstantiated sensational news for political power will not scruple to indulge in kleptocracy to maintain political power as against sustainable policies to improve the standard of living of the citizenry. It's about the flaws of the president's travels today and the national cathedral tomorrow, but how best policies would be implemented to develop the nation is completely lost in the equation. And Mr. Ablakwa is fully convinced that he is the best foreign minister in waiting. This simple disposition to garner votes assumes a low level of intelligence on the part of the electorate. On this note, I bet there is no way the NDC can beat the NPP despite their policy short-comings.