Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Kwame Baffoe
Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, also known as Abronye DC has described as a big lie the attribution of the Kumawu Water project and other hospitals in the Ashanti Region to former President John Mahama by the leader of United Front Party (UFP) Nana Agyenim Boateng.
According to Abronye DC, former President John Agyekum Kufuor initiated the Kumawu water project by securing a loan to provide water for the people of Kumawu and its environs just as he did for the people of Baafikrom, Kwanyarko, Cape Coast, Koforidua, and Tamale water projects.
Speaking on 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP disclosed that the Kumawu water project received both Cabinet and Parliamentary approval under former President Kufuor before he left office.
He stressed that the then Member of Parliament for Kumawu, Hon. Yaw Baah after the Parliamentary approval said publicly that the people of Kumawu will be relieved due to former President Kufuor’s water project.
“In a month later after the election, NPP lost power and then Prof Mills came to continue and he commissioned the Kumawu water project in 2011. How come a water project that Kufuor initiated, today, by force, former President Mahama who says that we should give him another chance has rather hired some people to steal Kufuor’s project which former President Mills inherited and give the credit to John Mahama instead," he slammed.
He reiterated that former President Mahama and the NDC cannot take credit for the Kumawu water project which was initiated by former President Kufuor as per the philosophy of the NDC National Communication Officer Sammy Gyamfi, credit should rather be given to any government that secures a loan for a project and not the one that carries out the actual project.
“Gyataba who is speaking for his paymaster John Mahama has been disgraced. I am saying this based on the fact that the National Communication Officer of the NDC said that if a government goes for a loan to start a project and another comes to take over and continue the project, then the project is the achievement of the former leader”.
“Therefore, if former Kufuor went for the loan for the Kumawu Water project, why are they claiming the glory for former President Mahama? Gyataba should come back to apologize to Ghanaians for stealing Kufuor and the NPP Water project for former President Mahama,” he said.
Abronye DC again challenged Gyataba on the hospital projects in the Ashanti Region which the latter is claiming to have been constructed by former President John Dramani Mahama.
He, however, recollected that former Minister of Health and the current second deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon Alban Bagbin presenting a cabinet memo in Parliament dated 12th July 2012 said that the NDC led by Atta Mills took over the various Ashanti Regional hospital projects initiated by the previous government in November 2008.
Abronye DC quoting from the Cabinet memo presented by Hon Alban Bagbin said the various hospital projects received Cabinet and Parliamentary approval from the previous government to construct 9 hospitals for the ministry of health.
“Having received both cabinet and parliamentary approval, the project covered the construction of 9 hospitals for the ministry of health as follow; Wa Regional Hospital-160 bed capacity, Salaga-60 bed capacity, Tepa-60 bed capacity, Konongo-Odumase- 60-bed capacity, Nsawkaw-60 bed capacity; Suntreso-250 bed capacity, Twifo-Praso-60 bed capacity, Adenta-Madina-100 bed capacity; 500-bed military hospital capacity in Kumasi for the ministry of defense,” he quoted from the Cabinet memo.
He said Gyataba and the NDC have been exposed.
