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| Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa |
The MP for North Tongu,
honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has revealed that, the Minister of finance, Mr. Ken
Ofori Atta omitted an amount of Ghc290 million covid-19 expenditure during his
account to parliament last week.
He said this on the
Good Morning Ghana show monitored by GHANA News ONLINE. He was quizzed by Dr. Randy Abbey what the latest scandal
he had found was. According to him, the said amount was for a project known as
the smart workplace project which was to provide a virtual environment to
enable public sector workers work from home, during the peak of Covid-19.
“The finance minister last
week accounted for Covid expenditure and we are discovering that, there was,
really awful omission and is not a small amount of money. We are discovering
that, the finance minister was less than candid and that, there is a $36
million project, known as the smart workplace project.
“And this is a project that
the communication ministry spearheaded to as it were create the right ecosystem
for public sector workers to work virtually; to work from home during the peak
of Covid. This entire project, about Ghc290 million is missing from the Covid
account that, the finance minister provided.”
He further added that, the
contract was given to a firm known as Smart Infraco Company limited who have
not worked on any I.T projects in their period of existence and have little to
no experience in the sector.
“But what is even more
troubling is that, it has emerged from the tons of documentation we are reviewing
that, this contract to execute the smart work place project went to a company
that is known as the smart Infraco company limited. The smart Infraco company
limited was incorporated, only a few months: 9 October, 2019.
“They were given the
lucrative contract; they signed on the 25th of March, 2020. They
have no track record at all. They didn’t even have staff; They have not done
any I.T project before and they got the $36 million contract.
Mr. Ablakwa added that, the
Ministry of Communication & Digitisation wrote to the PPA on the 18th
of January 2020 asking that it ratifies the sole sourced contract awarded to Smart
Infraco on the 25 March, 2020. The PPA wrote back ratifying the single sourced
procurement method on the 27 January, 2021 which it described as “Unauthorised”
“They were given the contract
on the 25th March, 2020 without recourse to the procurement law. They now went
to the PPA to ratify it, more than a year when payment has been made and all of
that. The ratification was done and approval given on the 27th of January,
2021, with the contract described by the PPA as unauthorized.”
In his view, the ministry
should have informed the PPA board who would have sped up the procurement
process. According to him, the procurement act makes provision to handle
emergencies; what the law refers to as, national catastrophes.
“We know there is Covid
but if you read sections 40 and sections 41 of the public procurement act, there
is adequate provisions to take care of emergencies; what the law even calls
national catastrophes. You just inform the board and the board will hurry up
the procurement process for you; they will do it in an expedite manner. None of
that, was done!
“And you see what is also
shocking is that, we have so many Ghanaian companies that can do this. The Knets
of this the world, Persols, Vodafone, MTN; if you want to refer to the giants.
And then you go for this company.”
Mr. Ablakwa further
revealed that, Smart Infraco is part of a family of companies involving Kelny
GVG with Nigerian counterparts.
“And interestingly, this
company is in the same family of Kelny GVG, same family of Acsend which has now
formed a JV with AirtelTigo to pursue a €164 million contract. There
are all kinds of dubious things going on! This same company, and it is the same
family of companies; you know! same family of companies with Nigerians.
“What is also intriguing
is that, on the 1st of December, 2020; this document here signed by
Charles Adu Boahene writing to the communications minister states that, cabinet
approves $8 million for the execution of the Smart workplace project, is exhausted
and yet the contract awarded is $36 million. The contract awarded was $36
million, so how is it that cabinet approves $8 million for this work place
project. So, every aspect of this, is stinking.”
The full interview below:
Source: ghananews.hrforum.uk
Follow @ghananews01
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