The Minority Caucus in Parliament has said they are stunned by President Akufo Addo Sod cutting of second phase of the Kumasi International Airport today.
In a statement signed by Kwame Governs Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu and Ranking Member on Road and Transport Committee of Parliament, the Minority in Parliament said the President’s action is a complete waste of time.
“The purported sod cutting by the President would amount to a needless waste of time and scarce national resources in view of the fact that his predecessor, President John Dramani Mahama, performed the same ceremony on 5th December 2016”.
In the statement, the Minority said the former President Mahama cut the sod for the project securing parliamentary approval of a loan of 65,037,500 Euros from Banco Santander S.A. and export credit support from the United Kingdom Export Finance Agency.
“President Mahama performed the ceremony after securing parliamentary approval of a loan of 65,037,500 Euros from Banco Santander S.A. and export credit support from the United Kingdom Export Finance Agency, for onward lending of 7,762,500 Euros, to the Ghana Airports Company Limited, in November 2016.”
The Minority stated that same contractor with whom an agreement was entered in 2016 to execute the project has been retained for the project.
The Minority has attributed this action to the government’s inability to account for the monies borrowed since January 2017.
“This sort of conduct smacks of desperation and are symptomatic of a government that has nothing to show for the billions of Ghana Cedis it has borrowed since January 2017.”
The Caucus also accused the NPP government of their consistent act of taking undue credit for works of others.
They also stated that similar work was done under NDC government under President Mahama in respect of the Tamale Airport and expect the Akufo Addo government will go through with the motion to ensure the commencement of phase of the project.
President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the commencement of phase two of the Kumasi Airport Project on Wednesday.
The 66,035,000 euros project is expected to be completed in 24months.
The project according to the President will give Kumasi the “much-needed impetus to reinforce its position as an important commercial and transformational centre in Ghana and West Africa.”
Source: citinewsroom.com
