Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has alleged that President Akufo-Addo began the infamous projects; National Cathedral and Bank of Ghana Head Office, in 2020 to enable him to siphon funds should he lose the 2020 elections.
Mr Ablakwa has made public documents shedding light on the government’s “wasteful” spending patterns during the 2020 election year.
Among projects that saw huge sums of money being spent on were the National Cathedral, that cost US$450million and the Central Bank Head Office, at the cost of US$222.7million.
According to Mr Ablakwa, he does not believe in sheer coincidence after finding faults in the procurement processes of the government’s projects.
“It is most instructive to note that payments for other infamous wasteful Akufo-Addo-legacy projects such as the US$450million National Cathedral fiasco and the US$222.7million BoG Head Office all commenced during the electioneering campaign of 2020,” he added.
The construction of the National Cathedral and the Central Bank Head Office has met stern reactions from a section of the public who believe the government’s expenditure priorities are misplaced.
On January 17, Mr. Ablakwa shared a document from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) detailing the procurement process for the construction of a 50-bed guest house in Tamale.
The document indicated that approval was granted to the Bank of Ghana to employ single sourcing, engaging Messrs De-Simone Limited for the final works on the project at a cost of GHC139 million.
Mr. Ablakwa raised concerns about what he perceives as an unhealthy inclination toward restricting tendering by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison.
“The fresh documents in my possession show that Dr. Addison appears to have a hooliganistic appetite for single-source and restricted tendering so much so that NONE of the procurements under his watch have been competitive,” Mr Ablakwa wrote.
He added, “The venerable Togbe Afede XIV was obviously right when he wrote in his latest op-ed that the BoG has failed us.”
He recalled the times when President Akufo-Addo during his time in opposition condemned “single source procurements and argued that it was a veritable conduit for corruption.”
“Without principle and scruples, they are now the all-time champions of grand single source procurements,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa has told Ghanaians to be alert and monitor the undertakings of the incumbent government led by President Akufo-Addo this year as the country nears the polls.
Mr Ablakwa noted that President Akufo-Addo is planning a “lootocratic” scheme through single-source procurement regime just as he reportedly did four years ago.
“The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia single-source-procurement-regime will be planning similar “lootocratic” schemes,” he warned.