Ignore NPP propaganda, Cocoa roads were never awarded without funds – Inusah Fuseini

Former Minister for Roads and Highways in the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama administration, Hon. Inusah Fuseini, has dismissed reports that the NDC awarded cocoa road contracts to the tune of Ghc 5BN with no readily available funds to pay contractors.

According to him, the NPP is only engaging in cheap propaganda and politics on the issue of cocoa roads.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia program, he explained that he is privy to and has documents to back his assertions.

"During our era in government, funds were made available for the construction of the cocoa roads so it is never true that the former President awarded GH¢5BN cocoa roads with no cash...

"To the best of my knowledge, the former President ensured that funds were provided for the construction of the cocoa roads...Moreso, every contract that is awarded goes through parliament for approval through the budget, so how can you say that the former administration awarded contracts when there was no money?" he quizzed.

He accused the ruling party of dabbling in "propaganda" by "cancelling all those contracts and made it look as if we did not make funds available for those cocoa roads."

Background

The NPP's Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, on Tuesday, descended heavily on former President John Mahama for seeking to score cheap political points with his recent comments on the cocoa sector.

Mr. John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the NDC is reported to have described as sheer wickedness on the part of President Akufo-Addo, the deliberate cancellation of all government contracts the previous NDC government awarded for cocoa roads to be constructed, apart from destroying the cocoa sector.

The former President, who is campaigning to come back to power after being defeated massively as an incumbent in 2016, used his tour of the newly created Western North Region last week to virtually incite the people in the region against the ruling government.

But at a press conference, Kwame Baffoe sought to expose the falsehoods being peddled by the former president on his Speak-out tour adding; "the lamentations of the former president are not as a result of a selfless desire to see the right things done, in so far as the award of cocoa road contracts are concerned.

"They are, instead, the lamentations of a man whose schemes which were to ensure large cash flows to friends, family, and cronies have been frustrated by the Nana Akufo Addo government."

The NPP Bono Regional Chairman further accused Mr. Mahama of "mismanagement and misapplication of funds" from the cocoa sector.

“...instead of admitting to his failure to fulfill the promises he made to cocoa farmers and cocoa farming communities during his presidency; he mismanagement and misapplication of funds which he oversaw and his government’s lack of innovative capacity to resolve the issues of the cocoa sector, the former president is rather engaging in a “Trumpian” style spreading of misinformation,” he indicated.