Government blows over GHC2.2m on vegetable oil - Chief Biney alleges

The Deputy National Organizer of the Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Hamilton Biney Nixon has hinted of an alleged stinking sole-sourced contract awarded to Freight Accord Limited by the Quality Control Company Limited, a subsidiary of COCOBOD for the supply of forty thousand (40,000) litres of Vegetable Oil at a whopping cost of Two Million, Two Hundred and Twenty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC2, 220, 000).

Chief Biney made this revelation on Peace FM's political talk show, 'Kokrokoo' hosted by Kwame Sefa Kaye whiles contributing to the passage of the RTI Bill by Ghana's parliament yesterday, monitored by Daniel Kaku of GhanaWeb.

He stated that the records from the Public Procurement Authority reveal that Quality Control Company Limited sole-sourced the contract to Freight Accord Limited on 4th January 2018.

He further bemoaned and questioned why 40,000 litres of vegetable oil could cost the taxpayer over 2.2 million cedis while records from various markets across the country indicate that 1 Litre of Vegetable oil is sold at a maximum of Ten Ghana Cedis (GH?10.00) even at retail shops.

This means that Quality Control Company Limited bought 1 Litre of Vegetable Oil from Freight Accord Limited at an unimaginable cost of Fifty Five Ghana Cedis, Fifty Pesewas (GH?55.50).

The Deputy National Organizer of the NDC concluded that he believes the RTI Bill would help ensure that more of such stinking deals are uncovered.

Background of RTI Bill

The RTI is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the country’s 1992 Constitution and recognized as a right under International Conventions on Human rights.

It was first drafted in 1999 under former President, Jerry John Rawlings.

Various advocacy groups emerged to press for the immediate passing of the bill into law in 2002 and reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in its 2008 and 2012 election manifestos promised to ensure the Bill was passed. In 2010, it was presented to Parliament for consideration.

Following the dissolution of the Sixth Parliament of the Fourth Republic and the swearing-in of new Parliament in January 2017, the Bill had to be re-laid by the new government.

That was done and the Bill has been receiving attention by the house but not without pressure from CSOs to expedite action on it.