Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Majority Chief Whip
The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has set the record straight on the report by the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), which had claimed that a market project that was supposed to have been constructed at Otu-Kwadjo, in the Nsawam/Adoagyiri Municipality, with oil money did not exist.
He said yesterday that the project was, indeed, executed, and so it was not right for PIAC to have issued that report on the project.
According to the PIAC report, a rural market project at Otu-Kwadjo, in the Nsawam Adoagyiri Constituency, “which was supposed to have been funded and executed with petroleum revenue”, did not exist at the specified community.
PIAC had cited a Ministry of Finance (MoF) document to the effect that the project had been fully completed at Otu-Kwadjo.
“The cost of the project, which includes a storage facility and mechanised boreholes, is given as GH¢920,354, out of which GH¢190,707 was sourced from the annual budget funding amount (ABFA).
“The contract was awarded through the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI) to Basham Company Limited (BCL) on January 29, 2019 and was expected to be completed after six months,” the PIAC report said.
Setting the record straight
Speaking to journalists at Parliament House on the issue, Mr Annoh-Dompreh, who is also the MP for the Nsawam/Adoagyiri constituency, said he suggested three places, namely Nsumia, Nsawam and Otu-Kwadjo, to the defunct Ministry of Special Development Initiatives, for the construction of the market.
The Majority Chief Whip pointed out that there was a challenge in market construction in places like Nsumia, in terms of site, and Otu-Kwadjo, but construction at Nsawam was confirmed because there was no challenge.
Mr Annoh-Dompreh, however, noted that the challenge at the aforementioned place did not hinder the construction at Nsawam.
He said two market sheds were constructed opposite PWD at Nsawam, stating that GHC623,000 was paid for the work done.
The Majority Chief Whip explained that the market, made up of two sheds of 48 cubicles (24 cubicles for each shed), was constructed at Kojo Electoral Area at Nsawam since there were challenges regarding the proposed project sites at Nsumia and Otu- Kwadjo.
“So, the contractor was engaged and was seeking my opinion if, indeed, we should wait and for us to get all the three places before construction begins. I said ‘no, let’s start with Nsawam’, where we don’t have a controversy regarding the site as proposed…
“So we are still in talks with stakeholders trying to get the places resolved, specifically the one at the Otu-Kwadjo and Nsumia. And so they went ahead to construct the one at Nsawam, and it was completed and commissioned,” he said.
Against all odds, he stated, the report issued by PIAC claiming that money had been paid for a non- existent market was false and mischievous.
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