Subsequent to his July 22, 2024, publication alleging a scandal involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s authorisation of over $34.9 million payment to a private company for the servicing of some 307 ambulances under the government’s One District One Ambulance initiative, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has published new evidence alluding to familial ties as the motivation behind awarding the contract to the private company in question.
According to Ablakwa, a key director of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited, Stephen Okoro, is a close business partner and longtime associate of President Akufo-Addo's daughters, Gyankroma and Edwina Akufo-Addo.
“I can today authoritatively disclose that I have finally found the answers to what has been a national mystery. Painstaking impeccable parliamentary oversight has successfully cracked the code. Intercepted incorporation documents reveal that a key director of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited by name Stephen Okoro is apparently a very close business partner and longtime associate to two daughters of President Akufo-Addo,” he stated.
In his latest publication dated Wednesday, July 24, 2024, Ablakwa noted that Okoro and the President's daughters have been involved in multiple business ventures, including SFO Initiatives Limited, Goodbox Limited, and Good Grow Limited.
“The President’s daughter, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo, and Stephen Okoro are the only two directors of SFO Initiatives Limited. (Incorporation documents duly attached). SFO Initiatives Limited was incorporated on August 9, 2013. The principal activities of the company are building and road construction, civil engineering works, food and crops farming. On the 12th of August, 2020, Stephen Okoro partnered with Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Akufo-Addo to incorporate Goodbox Limited. (Incorporation documents duly attached). This time Stephen Okoro took up a company secretary role in Goodbox Limited, registered by the President’s daughters to run a gym.
“President Akufo-Addo’s appointee, Keli Gadzekpo, who was Board Chair of ECG, was made a shareholder of Goodbox Limited. A few days after, specifically on August 20, 2020, the inseparable three musketeers incorporated Good Grow Limited. (Incorporation documents duly attached). Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Akufo-Addo are the two directors whilst their ever-loyal confidant, Stephen Okoro, took up the position as company secretary,” the MP alleged.
He alleged that the main motive by the minister in awarding the ambulance contract to Service Ghana Auto Group was mainly due to nepotism despite various questions around the activities of the company, including being indicted in a report by the Auditor-General.
TWI NEWS
Read the full publication by the North Tongu MP below:
The US$34.9million Ambulance Spare Parts Scandal — Unmasking the Powerful People behind the Notorious Service Ghana Auto Group Limited
We have all been wondering what makes Service Ghana Auto Group Limited so special that Ken Ofori-Atta could not leave the Finance Ministry without making sure he has approved their unconscionable US$34.9million ambulance spare parts deal.
We have also wondered why Ken Ofori-Atta on the same 9th February, 2024 instructed the Controller and Accountant General to release US$10million (GHS120,711,000.00) to Service Ghana Auto Group Limited.
Many have also been asking what the secret of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited is, which ensured that even when other companies were not being paid by government due to our mismanaged economy, Service Ghana Auto Group Limited consistently received prompt payments between 2020 and 2023 amounting to a colossal GHS115,342,573.00.
Citizens are shocked that according to the Audtor-General, Service Ghana Auto Group Limited was asked by government to provide maintenance services in January 2020 even before the company was incorporated on April 24, 2020.
Ghanaians have still not come to terms with the discovery by the Auditor-General that Service Ghana Auto Group Limited was illegally engaged and paid for 8 months before government gave them a contract.
Ghanaians are in total bewilderment that despite exceedingly damning findings by the Auditor-General which include procurement breaches, inflated invoices, lack of value for money, fraudulently using staff of the National Ambulance Service and Service Ghana Auto Group Limited’s refusal to refund undeserved monies to government; government still went ahead to award this new horrendous US$34.9million spare parts deal.
I can today authoritatively disclose that I have finally found the answers to what has been a national mystery.
Painstaking impeccable parliamentary oversight has successfully cracked the code.
Intercepted incorporation documents reveal that a key director of Service Ghana Auto Group Limited by name Stephen Okoro is apparently a very close business partner and longtime associate to two daughters of President Akufo-Addo.
The President’s daughter, Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Stephen Okoro are the only two directors of SFO Initiatives Limited. (Incorporation documents duly attached).
SFO Initiatives Limited was incorporated on August 9, 2013. The principal activities of the company are building and road construction, civil engineering works, food and crops farming.
On the 12th of August, 2020, Stephen Okoro partnered with Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Akufo-Addo to incorporate Goodbox Limited. (Incorporation documents duly attached).
This time Stephen Okoro took up a company secretary role in Goodbox Limited, registered by the President’s daughters to run a gym.
President Akufo-Addo’s appointee, Keli Gadzekpo, who was Board Chair of ECG was made a shareholder of Goodbox Limited.
A few days after, specifically on August 20, 2020, the inseparable three musketeers incorporated Good Grow Limited. (Incorporation documents duly attached).
Gyankroma Akufo-Addo and Edwina Akufo-Addo are the two directors whilst their ever loyal confidant, Stephen Okoro took up the position as company secretary.
Interestingly, Good Grow Limited has been established by the presidential daughters and their beloved business associate to grow and farm cannabis. They seem determined to take full financial advantage of Ghana’s new legal cannabis regime which their father spearheaded.
From the foregoing, It is now obvious that Ken Ofori-Atta’s midnight approval of the US$34.9million ambulance spare parts deal and subsequent US$10million payment was motivated by familial interest.
Ken Ofori-Atta’s primary focus was about making his nieces and their special business partner happy. Insider dealing at its frightening best.
The presidential family could not take chances, just in case a new Finance Minister takes over after the reshuffle and decides to sabotage a matter in which the family has a huge interest.
The conundrum about why Stephen Okoro’s Service Ghana Auto Group Limited enjoyed such remarkable preferential treatment and a unique dispensation which allowed procurement laws and other laws to be disregarded with impunity now makes sense.
We can all now understand why not even the explosive adverse findings contained in the 2022 Auditor-General’s report could stop Service Ghana Auto Group Limited from securing another uncompetitive US$34.9million spare parts cash-out from the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
Meanwhile, Stephen Okoro, a beloved business partner of the Akufo-Addo daughters, appears to be enjoying a golden era of business as he has incorporated 6 other companies between 2017 and 2020.
In opposition, President Akufo-Addo loudly promised Ghanaians that he will not run a family and friends government. Sadly, he never intended to keep that pledge.
Nepotism, cronyism and corporatocracy are all considered grave forms of corruption.
As Pope Francis reminds us: “Corruption is paid by the poor.” Leaders ought not forget this fact.
I can confirm, however, that I made all these oversight findings and irrefutable documents, particularly about the role of the President’s daughters and their business partner available to the Office of the Special Prosecutor in my petition of 22nd July, 2024.
It is my hope that the OSP will be allowed the free hand to conduct his investigations.
In the interim, let us do everything in our power to prevent the payment of the outstanding US$24.9million.
Together, we shall win this battle.
For God and Country.
Ghana First
GA/EK
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