'Year of Return' has become year of corruption – Okudzeto Ablakwa

Following government’s termination of the concessionaire agreement with Power Distribution Services (PDS), the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has expressed sadness over the alleged rampant alleged cases of corruption in the government of Nana Akufo-Addo, saying that, it is “really sad that the year of return has become the year of corruption.”

In his view, the cancelled deal has done so much damage to the image of Ghana that it will take much effort and time to repair.

“The damage the PDS debacle has done to Ghana’s image in international circles will require a long and hard effort to repair.

As we await the official response of the Americans on the future of the Compact; we must resolve to fix our broken system of governance and recognize that we cannot command the respect we expect from the comity of nations if we cannot acquit ourselves with integrity when they extend a helping hand.

Really sad that the year of return has fast become the year of corruption,” he wrote on Facebook sighted by MyNewsGh.com.

On 18th October,2019 the Government of Ghana terminated the agreement with PDS after it had earlier suspended the deal over fraud.

The move was necessitated by a forensic audit conducted by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and Government of Ghana’s investigations into the issuance of Demand Guarantees for the Concession Transaction, which revealed that the Payment Security for the Transaction was invalid.

The investigations re-affirmed the earlier report that, there was no approval by Competent Signatories to the Demand Guarantees issued by Al-Koot in Qatar, therefore, the Transaction lacked the required authorisation and approval of the Company.