Both institutions will be responding to queries by the committee and providing clarifications on contradictions regarding the purchase of some Christmas decorations at some over GHC 128,000 for mounting at the Kotoka International Airport during the 2021 Christmas festive season.
The Transport Ministry in a statement released on Monday, May 13, 2022, appeared to have contradicted previous claims by Board Chair of the GACL, Paul Adom-Otchere that suppliers and bids were sourced in the awarding of a contract for the purchase of the said Christmas decorations.
He also noted that part of the contract was taken care of by sponsors.
But the Transport Ministry’s statement indicated that the said decorations were rented and not procured as suggested. They also indicated that the cost of the entire decoration was paid for by a sponsor and not part.
Speaking in an interview with TV3, Kwame Governs Agbodza, a member on Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee indicated that, GACL and the Transport Ministry will be summoned before the committee to answer questions and bring perspective to the recent contradictions that have emerged on the subject.
“I feel this is a very shabby attempt to cover up something that we all suspect. First of all, when the issue came up, Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere did voluntarily offer some explanation as to what happened and he was quite clear in his reportage at the time. There was no issue about the renting of trees. It would even have been more problematic if it was entered at a price and other things and various sums were stated pro bono and other things and so it is quite shocking the current position of the Ministry.
“The question then is who do you trust? That is why it is going to be very important for the Committee on Roads and Transport to have themselves and the GACL to Parliament so that we can probe further into this. Do you trust the Adom-Otchere version of the confusion or do you like the latest version from the ministry?
“It will be difficult to choose from both confusing sides of the issue so we still insist that we are going to bring them to Parliament to go into this and bring up what exactly the truth is,” the MP for Adaklu said.
Background:
The airport decorations became a matter of public discussion after some invoices issued in the name of the Board Chairman of the Ghana Airports Company Limited, Paul Adom-Otchere surfaced on the internet.
While defending the concerns, Paul Adom-Otchere among other things outlined that suppliers and bids were sourced in the awarding of the contract for the purchase of the decorations.
“FACT: Two separate suppliers were invited to submit bids. The bids were discussed and discounts obtained. (We are grateful to Jandel Limited and Favors and Arts).
“FACT: The beautiful Christmas tree standing at Terminal 3 and 3 others altogether cost GHC 34,000, which was graciously provided by Jandel Limited at a heavy discount. (We thank Jandel Limited).
“FACT: The other inspirations were provided by Favors and Arts for a total cost of GHS 84,000 out of which GHC 50,000 was obtained via sponsorship,” Paul Adom-Otchere said in a Facebook post on January 7, 2022, he wrote in a statement.
While some persons raised concerns about the cost of the decorations, others raised concerns about procurement breaches for the decorations which cost over GHC118,000.
This necessitated a Right to Information request by Redeemer Buatsi, a fellow of the New Generation Investigative Journalism Fellowship of the Media Foundation for West Africa, to the Transport Ministry. The request sought for details about the said decorations bought by the GACL.
In what was a response to a request for copies of the procurement contract for the decorations, the Transport Ministry said, “Please be informed that the Christmas decorations for 2021 was rented and not procured for by the GACL.
Hence there was no procurement nor bidding process for the award of contract.”
The ministry further stated contrary to Mr. Adom-Otchere’s claim that the cost of the entire decoration was paid for by a sponsor instead of in part and that no contract was awarded by GACL for the purpose.
Paul Adom-Otchere, Board Chair of GACL and Kwasi Ofori Asiamah, Transport Minister