Heads of higher authorities than ministers should roll for looming judgment debt - John Jinapor

In the matter of a looming judgment debt over the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management contract, John Abdulai Jinapor, a former deputy Minister for Power, has indicated that he is of the belief that someone above the authority of the ministers of roads, finance, or national security should be held responsible.

While refusing to put names to his allegations, he insisted “a higher authority than these ministers should take the ultimate responsibility.”

Ghana has been dragged to the London Court of International Arbitration by the Management of the Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited for the cancellation of the contract which was awarded to the company earlier.

In 2018, the company was contracted to implement the $100 million following approval from Parliament but in November 2020, the Bill was re-laid before the House with a new contract agreement struck between Ghana, Huawei Technologies Company Limited and the China National Import and Export Corporation.

Although the judgment on the case has not yet been made, John Abdulai Jinapor says he is not optimistic that the country will come out of this successful, reports citinewsroom.com.

“I wish Ghana all the best but clearly if you look at what transpired, we should prepare for another massive one,” she expressed on Citi TV’s Point of View.

The Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu also shared his thoughts on the $134 million judgement debt Ghana was slapped with over the cancellation of its Emergency Power Agreement with GCGP Limited by the International Court of Arbitration.

In its ruling on the matter, the court also said the judgement debt would come with a $30 million interest payment obligation.

Jinapor lamented the inability of the government to exercise restraint on these deals, questioning why the government didn’t pursue dialogues before cancelling the respective deals.

“Why can’t we negotiate when we want to terminate. At least pursue that option first. Negotiate and see if you can come to an amicable solution,” he lamented.

He added that, “If negotiation fails, and you are pursuing the other option, that makes a bit of sense but why this rush to terminate only to go to the international court of arbitration and pay huge sums of money. This is unfair.”