Minister of State in Charge of Public Procurement, Sarah Adwoa Safo
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, says the Ministry of Public Procurement adds to the waste of taxpayers’ monies.
Speaking on TV3’s New Day on Wednesday, the legal practitioner said the Minister of State in charge of Public Procurement, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has no locus in the procurement process.
He explained that when the board of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) agrees to a deal, Ms Safo, who is also the Deputy Majority Leader, cannot overturn such agreement.
“You have a minister in charge of procurement. Can she disallow a procurement allowed by the [Public] Procurement [Authority] Board? No.
“What actually is the value Adwoa Safo’s ministry is adding to the government?” he asked.
Mr Tamakloe, therefore, said the ministry is a burden on the ordinary Ghanaian and just another waste of tax-payers’ money by the Akufo-Addo-led government.
This assertion was seconded by a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Rhodaline Imoro Ayana, who was also on the show.
She also wondered why such a ministry was set up by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
The discussion came in the wake of the suspension of the Chief Executive Officer of PPA, Adjenim Boateng Adjei, by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over an exposé by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni titled ‘Contracts for Sale’.
Already, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) are investigating Mr Adjei.
But calls have been made for the board of the Authority to be suspended as well since it is said to have superintendent over the rot by the CEO.
Mr Tamakloe said so far as the board remains in office Mr Adjei will be cleared as evident in past graft probes.
