Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a member of parliament for North Tongu, has disclosed that Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, minister of communications, improperly awarded a multi-million dollar contract.
The MP offered correspondence between himself and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) in a post from July 6, 2023 on his social media accounts to support his accusations.
“In my latest exposé, I reveal how Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful shockingly awarded a US$48million contract without PPA approval,” portions of his caption for the post read.
“The contract was dubiously awarded to the same Nigerian cabal which has hijacked the Communications & Digitalization sector,” he added.
Ablakwa’s request dated 8th June was titled “REQUEST FOR INFORMATION,” and read in part: “Respectfully, can you confirm if the Public Procurement Authority has granted procurement approval as required per the Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended with (Act 914) to Ascend Digital Solutions under a US$48 million Rural Telephony Project contract purportedly for Engineering, Design, Build, Rollout and Managed Services which is being executed by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization since the year 2020.”
The PPA in its response dated 30th June, 2023 and signed by Deputy Chief Executive Kwame Prempeh read: “We wish to inform you that our records do not reflect any information of the above-mentioned project.”
Read Ablakwa’s full post below:
In the midst of the ongoing political persecution by the Akufo-Addo government, it is important to shed light on the true perpetrators of severe wrongdoing against the Ghanaian people.
In my latest disclosure, I uncover a shocking incident involving Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, who granted a staggering US$48 million contract without obtaining the necessary approval from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).
The PPA’s response to my request made under the Right to Information (RTI) Act confirms this blatant violation, which raises serious concerns. This particular contract was suspiciously awarded to a Nigerian group that has effectively seized control of the Communications & Digitalization sector.
It is worth noting that the removal of EC boss Charlotte Osei was justified on grounds of procurement breaches, while others have been unjustly incarcerated for far less severe procurement infractions. These stark inconsistencies in the treatment of individuals involved in procurement malpractices are deeply concerning.