Fact Check Ghana: Okudzeto Ablakwa lied on Jamestown Fishing Harbour claim

Claim

For the umpteenth time since leading the NDC in a presentation which sought to expose the NPPs "failed promises", Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s claim has been proven to be false.

The former Deputy Minister of Education last Monday on Joy News stated that the James Town Fishing Habour, which the ruling NPP government promised to build in 2016, has not started.

But Fact Check Ghana, an arm of Media Foundation for West Africa which scrutinises claims by politicians and other officials, has passed a verdict on Okudzeto's claim, describing it as FALSE.

Below is Fact Check Ghana's verdict on Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s claim that the NPP has not even started the James Town Fishing Harbour.

Explanation

Fact-check Ghana looked into the second claim regarding the Jamestown Port and found it to be false.

The New Patriotic Party stated in their 2016 manifesto that they would construct ‘new harbours at Jamestown in Accra and Keta’.

According to the New Patriotic Party, “these investments will also increase the volume of business from landlocked countries in the region.”

Verification

In our bid to verify Samuel Okudzeto’s claim, Fact-check Ghana visited the project site of the said Jamestown Fishing harbour to verify whether the project had started or not. On our arrival, we found that the project was ongoing with the contractor and his workers on site.

Our visit to the site on June 18, 2020, also coincided with an inspection by officials from the government including the Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah.

Before Samuel Okudzeto’s claim on Monday, June 15, 2020, the Daily Graphic had already reported on May 21, 2020, that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) had started demolishing existing structures for construction to begin.

According to an article on the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority website and a Graphic Online article, the $60 million project involves the dredging of about 118,000 cubic metres harbour basin and shipping channels.

The project will also include cold store facilities, market areas and other facilities such as a kindergarten trading market, processing area, commercial area and other production and supporting facilities.

Conclusion

Based on the facts and explanation above, Fact-check Ghana concludes that his claim about the Jamestown Fishing Harbour is FALSE.

Since his presentation, Ablakwa has a torrid time proving many of his claims in the media which he made during the presentation.

On Asempa FM earlier in the week, a so-called unfulfilled promise which he claimed is on page 175 of the NPP manifesto was proved not to be true by host of Asempa FM's Ekosii Sen Osei Bonsu, popularly called OB.

Then on Metro TV's Good Evening Ghana, Ablakwa claimed the NPP government have constructed only nine factories under the One District One Factory initiative. But that claim has been proven to be FALSE as over 60 factories are currently operational, with over 100 at different stages of construction across the country.