Karbo resisted $1m inflated budget for make-shift road structures – Agyapong

Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong has praised Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Anthony Karbo, for putting up a strong objection to the allocation of $1 million of the $2 billion Sinohydro Corporation facility, for the construction of temporary structures to facilitate the construction of some roads in the country.

Assuring Ghanaians on NET2 TV that the Akufo-Addo government, unlike the Mahama administration, will put the $2 billion loan to good use, the firebrand politician said: “I’ve been to Roads and Highways when I saw the minister and the company coming with this loan [Sinohydro Corporation], the number of roads, and I was so happy and proud to be [an] NPP [member] because Karbo was arguing with the people that the $1 million that they will put in, to build temporary structures, no, he is not going to agree”.

“He was fighting for this country, and they were arguing back-and-forth.

“Karbo and his team said: ‘No, it’s too much’. There was another thing that he said he was no going to agree to. That is the difference between the NPP and NDC.

“If it had been NDC, [they’d have said]: ‘Oh, $1 million; now that we now you can use $100,000 to do it, then give me $200,000 and put the $1 million in’. But Karbo insisted that: ‘No way, that temporary structure, you put in $1 million, no’. That is NPP for you. That is how President Akufo-Addo has changed his boys, so, please we’ll make sure we’ll get value-for-money from this loan for Ghanaians to see the work the $2 billion has done to improve the country”, Mr Agyapong said.

Mr Agyapong also accused members of the erstwhile Mahama government of using government loans to acquire houses abroad when they were in office.

According to him, some of these officials bought houses in South Africa, United Kingdom, Dubai and the United States of America.

His comment comes on the back of the Minority’s objection to $2billion facility in exchange for Ghana’s bauxite in the Atewa forest.

The Minority have strongly criticised government over the deal, which is expected to provide $2 billion worth of infrastructure including roads, bridges, interchanges, hospitals, houses, rural electrification, among others, in exchange for Ghana’s bauxite.

In the same Wednesday, 22 August 2018 interview, Mr Agyapong said unlike the NDC, officials of the NPP government will not use the $2 billion for their personal benefit.

The lawmaker said: “What about all the monies they [NDC] took? Because they did not use it well, they think President Akufo-Addo and NPP will do same. It’s a disgrace for politicians to even go and make such frivolous statements, it will not help them… The previous loans they took, they shared it amongst themselves, bought houses in Dubai and South Africa, UK and USA, so, they think NPP is going to do the same.”