The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of lying to Ghanaians about his promise to end sole sourcing when his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was in opposition.
According to the NDC, the vice president even listed the end of sole sourcing as one of the achievements of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government, but the evidence shows that not only has sole sourcing become pervasive under the government, but the vice president himself is a beneficiary of it.
The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, who made these claims at a press conference in Accra, on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, said that government contracts worth over GH¢218m have been offered to a company owned by Vice President Bawumia’s brother, Abraham Bawumia, on a sole sourced basis without merit.
Sammy Gyamfi listed the five contracts, including the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport, which were single-sourced to the company of the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer’s brother called Resource Access Limited
He pointed out that not only were the contracts offered to Dr. Bawumia’s brother without merit, but the cost of the projects they were meant for was grossly exaggerated.
“First on the list is a sole-sourced contract awarded for Phase One of the rehabilitation of the Sunyani Airport at a cost of a whopping GH¢52.25 million to Resource Access Limited. For emphasis, this juicy contract was doled out to Bawumia's brother in the year 2019 without any transparent or competitive process.
“Friends from the media, when one compares the cost of the mundane works that have been carried out at the Sunyani Airport by Bawumia's brother's company to the brand-new Ho airport built from scratch by the visionary nation-builder John Dramani Mahama, it becomes clear that indeed, Ghanaians have been shortchanged by Alhaji Bawumia and his brother," he said.
He further explained, “The brand-new Ho Airport was built at a cost of $25 million. This airport boasts a brand new 1,900 metres long and 30 metres wide runway, a new ultramodern terminal with VIP and VVIP facilities that can process about 400 passengers a day, a brand-new apron for two aircraft and 9-kilometre network of new roads around the airport. On the other hand, after spending a colossal GH¢52.25 million (that is, about half of the cost of the brand-new Ho airport), the rehabilitated Sunyani Airport can only boast a refurbished 120 metres long and 30 metres wide runway, minimal renovation of the existing terminal building to process 100 passengers per day, upgrade (patching of potholes) of the existing apron and resurfacing of internal roads.”
The NDC communication director also listed the following sole contracts illegally offered to Vice President Bawumia’s brother.
Two juicy cocoa road projects were also awarded to Bawumia's brother's company, Resource Access Limited, on a sole-sourcing basis at an inflated cumulative cost of GH¢83 million in the year 2020.
The said Cocoa Road projects are: upgrading of Assin Akropong - Odomasi Asibrem (22.18km) road at a contract value of over GH¢54 million; upgrading of Kyibosohasowodze bungalow feeder road (14.50km) at a contract value of almost GH¢30 million.
Over GH¢80 million for two single-source road projects including the rehabilitation of the selected roads in Teshie Camp, Southern Command, Military Academy Training School Roads and partial reconstruction of selected roads in Accra – LOT 1 (44.49KM); construction of Sunyani By-Pass Outer Ring from Kumasi Berekum Road.
Watch his remarks in the video below:
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