The former CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, Kwadwo Twum Boafo, and the Member of Parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro Constituency, Sylvester Tetteh, recently clashed over the government's decision to award a controversial 5G contract to a private firm.
On the June 7 edition of the Good Morning Ghana show on Metro TV, the pair agreed to disagree on various points regarding the awarding of the contract to Next Gen Infraco Limited, an entity formed just a week after the President granted executive approval for the project on August 22, 2023.
Kwadwo Twum Boafo questioned why there was no competitive bidding before awarding the contract, demanding transparency and fairness in the 5G project contract.
He also argued that Parliament was not informed about the contract to allow for scrutiny before approval was granted.
"Without the full knowledge of what has gone on with this 5G contract, we have the right to ask because there are Ghanaian companies involved, we must know the percentage of ownership within that holding. Without the full knowledge of this deal, people have the right to ask based on what has occurred in the past with similar deals," the former GFZA boss stressed.
In his defence, Sylvester Tetteh argued that the deal would be presented to Parliament, which was in recess at the time the announcement was made by the Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful.
"Not every piece of information needs parliamentary approval. Seeking parliamentary approval and briefing Parliament are two separate things that should not be confused. When the law and statutes do not require approval for a deal, there is no need to recall Parliament," Tetteh explained.
He further argued that the contract handed out to Next Gen Infraco would provide a cost-efficient rollout of 5G services across the country adding that the rollout would be shared among industry players.
Watch the exchange below:
MA/EK
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