The Chronicle

"Saga Of a Drowning Town ?Keta Sea Project: A revelation"

Writing under the headline "Saga Of a Drowning Town ?Keta Sea Project: A revelation" on its front page the Ghanaian Chronicle reports that a new fact that has emerged could further slow down the process of the Keta Sea Defence Project.

The Chronicle report says even as Parliament debates on the $ 94 million loan agreement with Eximbank for the Keta Project, it has emerged that the PNDC earmarked ? 700m with a foreign component of ($9m) in 1984 for the same project.

The paper says the revelation could deepen the controversy surrounding the project leading to claims and counter claims.

The report quotes a Daily Graphic report November 3, 1984, in which the former PNDC Secretary for Works and Housing Dr Abubakar Alhassan stated in a speech in the presence of PNDC Chairman Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings that an amount of ?700 m had been earmarked for the project.

The Chronicle says the story included a declaration from Rawlings that the government would not sit down and allow the sea to destroy life and property at Keta. According to the Graphic of that time Dr. Alhassan said so far ?75 has been spent on the first phase of the project.

It alleges that the Office of the President which was asked to comment on the credibility of the said Graphic report this year dismissed aspects of the report that said the money had been voted for the project.

In a written response to the Chronicle?s queries in April this year, Nana Opuku Acheampong, Deputy Director of the Public Affairs Secretariat, said is reported as saying "the Daily Graphic report of Nov. 5 1984 captioned Big Vote for Keta Sea Defence is misleading. What the then Secretary for Works and Housing actually said was that "an amount of ?700 m has been earmarked for the Keta Sea Defence Project. He did not say these monies had been voted for the project. The PNDC Secretary?s statement was based on estimated cost of the project extracted from proposals submitted to the Ministry in 1984 by a potential local contractor"

Although Dr. Alhassan was unavailable for comment the Chronicle says Professor Mawusi Dake, a widely acclaimed expert on the Keta Sea Defence Project, who also served as Secretary for Works and Housing during the PNDC ear and came almost after Dr. Alhassan interpreted the castle?s apparent contest of vote as a reflection of the lack of commitment of the then PNDC government of solving the problem.

GRi