Kufuor Dares 'Gen Mosquito'

The Special Aide to former President John Kufuor, has described as reckless, irresponsible and baseless, a statement made by the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia that he would be compelled to make Mr Kufuor account for his stewardship as past Board Chairman of the Bui Power Authority.

Recently, the former Chief Executive of the Bui Hydro Energy Development Project, and a member of the NPP, Mr. Fred Oware, rejected claims that about $118 million is needed to complete the Bui City Project.

This was after a Deputy Energy Minister, Inusah Fuseini, made the announcement in Parliament on Wednesday February 9, saying the Kufuor administration did not set aside funds for the project.

But Mr. Fred Oware, a Vice Chairman of the NPP, explained that funds were to be sourced from the private sector.

These developments appear to have angered Mr. Asiedu Nketia who says the NPP is not being truthful with Ghanaians on funding processes for the Bui Dam and Bui City projects.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia said if those “lies” being peddled by the NPP do not stop, he will sponsor the invitation of former President Kufuor to answer questions regarding funding for the project.

He said his invitation will be premised on the fact that Mr. Kufuor was the former Board Chairman of the Bui Hydro Energy Development Project.

Reacting to his threats on XFM 95.1, a privately owned commercial radio station in Accra, Frank Agyekum challenged Asiedu Nketia to carry forth his threats if indeed he had anything incriminating against the former President.

“The way he has said ‘unless President Kufuor shuts up’, brings up more serious connotations. That means that Asiedu Nketia is aware of some wrongdoing by Kufuor and he is keeping it, and that unless he shuts up, he is going to release it. That is a very serious statement and we call on the CID or BNI to invite Asiedu Nketia to tell the whole Ghana what it is that he does not want to say, because it means that he is condoning and abetting crime,” he said.

Mr. Frank Agyekum insisted that the former President has done no wrong in connection with the Bui Power project and so challenged Asiedu Nketia to come out with facts or forever bury his mind in shame.

Government signed the contract with the Chinese engineering and procurement organization, Sinohydro in April 2007, to construct the dam that would add 400 megawatts of power to the national grid. The project commenced in April 2008.

The construction of the Dam is costing the government of Ghana $60million out of the total project cost of $622m, largely funded by the Chinese government. It is expected to be completed and commissioned in December 2012.