“Sack Asiedu Nketsiah”, Sir John Tells Mills

The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, aka “Sir John” has called on President John Evans Atta-Mills to demonstrate his will to fighting corruption by backing his words with action.

“In President Mills’ state of the nation address last Thursday, he stated that one governance issue that remains close to his heart is the fight against corruption. He also stated in his 2010 address to the nation that even if we [NDC] cannot totally eradicate corruption, we must try at all cost reduce it to the barest minimum and make the penalty for corruption so high that it will become something to avoid at all cost”, Sir John said.

However, Sir John has stated that these pronouncements by President Mills is, and have certainly not been enough as corruption is thriving within his own regime.

In recent days, the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah also popularly known as “General Mosquito”, has been badly exposed for transacting business with the Bui Power Project while serving as a Board member, after issuing threats to former President John Agyekum Kufuor over his handling of projects relating to the construction of the Bui Dam.

According to General Mosquito, the seeming difficulties by subcontractors of the Bui project in buying blocks informed his decision to extend his block factory, which was originally in his hometown, closer to the project site so the subcontractors could benefit.

These revelations have raised concerns over potential situations of conflict of interest and corruption against the NDC’s General Secretary.

“How is it that a block manufacturing company owned by the NDC General Secretary has been single-handedly awarded a contract to supply blocks for the entire resettlement project? Subcontractors who make their own blocks risk their contracts being terminated”, Sir John said.

"The President should start by punishing the big fish within his government otherwise mere talking about corruption year-in year-out will not help. He should walk the talk and act other than merely lamenting. If he is committed to fighting corruption in this country, then he must sack Johnson Asiedu Nketsiah from the Board of the Bui Project to serve as a deterrent to others," Sir John said.

It has also been revealed that the NDC government is in Parliament asking for an additional funding of US$118 million to complete the Hydroelectric Project.

Fred Oware, a former CEO of the Bui Project, also cited the high prices of blocks manufactured by General Mosquito’s company as one of the reasons which has consequently increased the total cost of the project.

He also stated that the new Board continues to insist that the Chinese contractors should buy chippings/aggregates from a supplier based in Sunyani (over 60km) at a price likely to add a further $50 million to the original project cost.