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Open letter to former president John Dramani Mahama

Mahama Hypocrisy Doep Former President John Dramani Mahama

Sun, 6 May 2018 Source: Awonekai Atia Figo

Permit me space to respond to a populist statement by Mr. John Dramani Mahama at NDC's unity walk in Upper East Region where he called on the NPP Government not to abandon the Bolga Bawku road started by him.

Firstly, I congratulate the Good Chiefs and people of Upper East Region for making Mr John Dramani Mahama to walked on our soil. Hitherto it has always been helicopter from Accra to venue grounds in Upper East Region with the excuse that we are very far, this eventually led to the unprecedented 44.4% which is still fresh in our minds.

Mr Mahama, I am a frafra from Tanzui Bolgatanga, I am "your brother" as you like it, but to be fair and honest you are Ghana's biggest problem and a disappointment to Upper East Region. We are disappointed with you because you presided over impunity, Immorality and an internationalized looter Government with corruption as it's hallmark.

Since your unprecedented and humiliating defeat, the NPP Government have demonstrated its willingness and commitment to work hard towards addressing the numerous challenges facing Upper East Region. Among them is the 116km Bolga-Bawku-Pulmakom road currently under construction.

The facts of the 116km road contract are as follows;

The contract was awarded on 7th December 2016, elections day. Interestingly, Mr. John Dramani Mahama during his Accounting to the people tour, had cut the sod, at Lamboya near Zebilla, for the construction of the same road on Monday 11th July 2016, where he landed with helicopter in a Hollywood style for sod cutting.

The sod cutting was to enable him come to Upper East Region because he had made assurance to the Chiefs and people of Bawku while speaking at the 27th annual SAMANPIID festival celebrated by the KUSUAG people in the Bawku Municipality.

I call on the Special Prosecutor to take keen interest in this sole source contract awarded by Mr. Mahama looter Government. The processes leading to the contract been sole source are suspicious and in breach of the Public Procurement Act.

Payment certificates as contained in the contract are to be paid from the Road Fund. This is not the right source for funding the contract. The magnitude of the contract ( over $600 million) requires that payment be effected directly from the budget and not from the Road Fund. The Road Fund was established for the preservation of Ghana's road network and not for the payments of big constructions such as this.

The road is 116km long. 13km out of this has been awarded to a Ghanaian contractor, MAWUMS Constructions Ltd as a special contract. The remaining 103 has been awarded to a Brazilian contractor, Queiroz Galvao. The reasons for awarding such a special contract to MAWUMS Constructions Ltd is still questionable.

it's rather unfortunate that whenever Mr. John Dramani Mahama gets the opportunity to speak to unite the NDC, he ends up using the platform to insult, abuse, disrespect the good people of Ghana in one way or the other.

As I conclude, I will like to advised former President John Dramani Mahama to emulate past Presidents of the Republic and act as a Statesman to avoid continues embarrassment.

Columnist: Awonekai Atia Figo
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