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I Told You SADA (Akonfem) Project Was A Scam

Thu, 1 May 2014 Source: Sarpong, Justice

I wrote an article titled,"President Mahama Is Presiding Over A Corrupt Administration" On April 2nd 2013, about the SADA partnership with Agam group of companies owned by Agambire to rear guinea fowl(AKONFEM) At that time, I wrote that it was a scam that Agambire has contributed almost $7.5 million to own 56% of this partnership. I emphatically said that Agambire did not contribute a dime into this partnership and it is just a scam.

Folks, I was right on the money then as it has been revealed by the CEO of SADA at the time Gilbert Iddi, who left office almost a year after the joint venture company was formed who now says he does not know whether or not Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Program contributed any amount. The two directors of the company are former CEO of SADA, Gilbert Seidu Iddi who represented SADA, and Roland Agambire, CEO of the AGAMS Group. Asongbata(Agams) was supposed to pay 15 million Ghana Cedis and hold majority share of 56% and SADA was supposed to pay 12 million Ghana cedis for 44%. But Gilbert Iddi says SADA contributed a total of 15 million Ghana Cedis to the joint venture. But Gilbert Iddi says SADA contributed a total of 15 million Ghana Cedis to the joint venture.

I knew then that this was a scam cooked at the kitchen of President Mahama and his partner in crime, Agambire of Asongbata and served on plate of lies to fleece Ghanaians of their hard earned cedis and I have been proved right by Gilbert Iddi.

Below is part of the said article that appeared in the forum on April 2nd, 2013.

"Now Mr Mahama is the President whether Ghanaians voted for him or not, which is not the issue here but few months on the Presidency has exposed him as a corrupt man regarding the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority(SADA) Guinea fowl and tree planting projects. President Mahama is using his power as the President of Ghana to divert Taxpayers money to his busness partner, one Roland Agambire,the Chief Executive Officer of Ghanaian Telecommunications company, rLG communications to set up an NGO,Asongtaba Cottage Industries,which received about 8 million dollars of Taxpayers money(GHc15 million) to start the guinea farm project. What is the meaning of Asongtaba? Translated from Guruni language, it means ‘You scratch my back I scratch your back’ and that is exactly what Mahama and this Agambire guy are doing, they are scratching each others back with our tax cedis. They are fleecing Taxpayers out of our money. As noble as these two projects are if implemented to benefit the three Northern Regions farmers and to a larger extent, all Ghanaians, President Mahama and his business partner Agambire are using this fake NGO to divert taxpayers money into their own pockets. How is the people of the North going to benefit from this project which is supposed to alleviate some of the hardships in the North by resourcing as many farmers as we can by helping them to set up their own cottage industries if we hand over such a huge amount to one individual? How did an individual without any history in farming become the point man in this noble guinea fowl project that if properly implemented can alleviate a big chunk of the poverty in the North and become a foreign currency earner for the country since there is a big market out there for guinea fowl meat.

As usual in Ghana with any policy meant to help the poor, it is the elite amongst the Northerners like Agambire and Mahama who are going to benefit. If Agambire and his Asongbata NGO are going to hold 60% of this joint venture, can somebody account for their so called GHc25 million or $13 million contribution towards this project? Was their contribution in cash, land, goodwill, personal or combination of these? Mahama is the worst thing to happen to Northerners. The problem with Northerners is that, they always assume the Southerners, especially the Akans and to a larger extent, the Asantes are not for their best interest and blindly support anybody from the North even when it is not in their best interest. SADA is supposed to help the poor in the North but see how the Northern Elites have stolen what is meant to help the poor over there and let anybody accuse these Northern thieves and the poor Northerners will turn up in their numbers defending them. Ghana has sunk more than 16 million dollars in the planting of tick and other trees, supposedly five million trees but instead Agambire and his parners planted only 300,000 trees and pocketed more than thirteen million dollars no wonder giving one million dollars to Chris Brown to come to Ghana to smoke weed was not a big deal to Agambire and his rLG company.

Who are the people behind this Asongbata NGC? Chief Executive Officer of Ghanaian Telecommunications company, rLG communications, Roland Agambire, is the face behind Asongtaba Cottage Industries & Exchange Programme, the company behind the GH¢15 million Guinea fowl and GH¢33 million tree planting projects.Mr Agambire, a businessman with very close links to the President John Mahama, is a member of the Executive Council of this Asongtaba Cottage Industries and Exchange Programme, which was incorporated in the year 2004 and registered as a Non-Governmental Organization.

"The objectives of Asongtaba (translated from Guruni to mean ‘You scratch my back I scratch your back’) as spelt out on the ‘Form 3’ of the Company’s registration documents include: “To establish and train the youth in cottage industries like basketry etc., with the view to making them self employed; To help members in times of need; and To engage in cultural exchange programmes.” The business occupation of Roland Agambire, as stated on the form is that of an “Exporter” with residential address “H/No. 485/3, Madina, Accra”. As of 2004, four other Directors of the company included Miriam Ajavon, Lucy Ajavon, Paul Ajavon and William Asare. Strangely enough, all four directors have the same residential address as Mr Agambire and are all “Exporters”.

However, a notification in the change of directors was made to the Registrar General’s Department on October 30, 2009, where the original directors in the persons of Lucy Ajavon, Paul Ajavon and William Asare, all resigned from the company. George Yeye also resigned as secretary of the company and was replaced by Miriam Ajavon.

What really is going on here if this is not a scam Agambire and some people with political powers are trying to perpetrate on our country? The same Agambire is going to build the 10 billion hope city as a private Investor without Ghana knowing where he is getting his source of financing from. In as much as we should encourage people like Mr Agambire in helping to develop our country, they should not do it through corrupt means."

Just yesterday, April 29, 2014, it was reported on this cite that Agambire has paid a total of Ghc14.5 million to the State, as the first tranche of an amount of Ghc55.5 million expected to be recouped by the State.

So that is it? Is he not going to be prosecuted for defrauding the country? A cassava thief stole 500 cedis worth of Cassava that was recovered by the owner and he was still sentenced to prison for ten(10) but these pen thieves steal tens of millions of Ghana cedis and when they are caught all what they have to do is to pay the money back and walk away? If this is the penalty to pay for stealing from Daavi Ghana, then it is no wonder all the Ministers and government appointees are stealing everything that is not bolted down in the country.

What am I talking about? Even everything bolted down like oil rich fields are being sold to Nigeria con oil magnates by Mahama and his cronies and when somebody predicted that Arab spring will happen in Ghana, these Politicians were all over him. "OWUO SISI ASO" as we say in Akan, these thieves believe Ghanaians are too timid to embark on popular revolution but it is coming and these people might not live to enjoy their loot.

SERVICE TO MY NATION, GHANA

Justice Sarpong

(CARDINAL of TRUTH)

Columnist: Sarpong, Justice