On Thursday, 8th December the Chronicle published an article reporting the GHc 42 million settlement granted by the Accra High Court to Mr Alfred Woyome in June 2010 .
An impartial comment on this story would require a good knowledge of the parameters involved. It is important to know that before CAN 2008, which was hosted by Ghana, the Government of Ghana undertook extensive renovations of the old stadia and the building of new ones. One of the contracts for the renovation was won by VAMED Engineering Company. Somewhere, somehow during the project execution, it became known to the Kufuor`s Government that Mr. Woyome is the lead person to the VAMED Company. As a result, the then Minister of Education, Science and Sports asked VAMED to discontinue the contract in which VAMED had invested so much money.
It will interest the reader to note, that the unusual abrogation of this contract, by the Kufuor regime was not an isolated case but a typical scenario which many NDC contractors fell victims during the Kufuor administration. This to some extent led to the economic mess which the former President Kufuor left behind. After 8 years rule, Kufuor left behind an economy controlled by heavy National debt, rocketing Inflation, high fiscal debt and depleted foreign reserves.
The abrogation of a contract in which International partners are involved, is nothing short of gross irresponsibility and an abuse of due process. It is therefore obvious that former president Kufuor and his entire cabinet could be held responsible for the loss which is the result of political vindictiveness.
In this particular case, in question, Mr Woyome was denied his right to continue the construction even when he had invested in the project. I think the Accra High Court is right in granting the June 2008 settlement.
Dr. Ebenezer Hayford
Senior Lecturer
University of Ghana, Legon
