Kasoa Interchange cost: Akufo-Addo being misled by Minority – Agbesi

Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament, Alfred Agbesi has said the Flagbearer of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo has been misled by the Minority in Parliament over the cost involved in the Kasoa Interchange Project.

Agbesi’s assertion follows Akufo-Addo’s comment that the $172-million being sunk into the Project could be bloated.

According to Akufo-Addo, the cost of the Kasoa project, appears bloated when compared to the cost of building the six-lane N1 Highway, with two interchanges, and the paying of compensation for those whose properties had to give way for the road.

“I accept that the government is not building an ordinary interchange. But as I have said, many have expressed deep anxieties about the cost and it is definitely one of the things leading to the perception of corruption in government,” the former Attorney General said at the second Aliu Mahama memorial lecture Tuesday.

“I want to make a humble suggestion to His Excellency the President. Check the figures! Check them again! Invite others in an international open tender and let’s see if we can’t save the nation more than half of what you have signed us up to pay.

“The President certainly does not have to listen to me, he might very well think he is within his rights and he might even think to go back on a decision he has already made and subject the contract to a second look would be a truly unprecedented act. Yes, it would be unprecedented, but it would show strength rather than weakness on the part of the President and it could lead to a regeneration of trust in our governance process. Try it, Mr. President and let’s see what happens. You have nothing to lose,” he said.

However, Mr Agbesi has told MORNING STARR host Kafui Dey that he was disappointed in the Minority MPs who are members of the Finance and Roads select committees that sat on the matter, for misleading Akufo-Addo.

“My colleague Deputy Minority Leader is a member of the finance committee, the ranking member of the finance committee is Hon Dr Akoto Osei. They scrutinised the agreement brought to them at the committee level and present a report to the house…They knew what happened there…whatever they brought to the house by way of a report; there was nothing they raised which to them was over bloating [of the amount]. Nothing came to the House…I’m totally surprised that they are raising this matter… I believe they are misleading their presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo to be saying these things,” Agbesi said.