Mahama flew helicopter from Bolga to Bawku

Deputy Upper East Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Elvis Figo A. Awonekai, has exposed former President John Dramani Mahama.

He said when Mr Mahama was president he always flew to the region because the roads were not in good shape, adding “But he did nothing about it and is rather turning round to create the impression that he has the people in the area at heart.”

The NPP regional secretary also said that the processes leading to the award of the contract for the construction of the Bolgatanga-Bawku Road that Mr. Mahama claimed had been abandoned by President Akufo-Addo’s NPP government was not transparent.

He added that it was awarded when his (Mahama’s) National Democratic Congress (NDC) government was on its way out of office.

Clear Incitement

During the so-called NDC ‘Unity Walk’ at Bolgatanga over the weekend, Mr Mahama appeared to incite the people of the Upper East Region against President Akufo-Addo when he said he (Akufo-Addo) had not done anything for the people over there.

“A lot of the projects we started have stalled. Many of the hospitals we were building have come to a stop. Many of the schools we were building have come to a stop. Many of the roads we were building have come to a stop. But I have one appeal. If there was one project that we started, that is critical to the economic devolvement of the Upper West Region, it is the Bolga-Bawku road,” the former president posited.

“If President Akufo-Addo won’t do anything for us in Upper East at all, we beg him, as for that road, he should continue it and finish it for us,” Mr Mahama emphasised.

Hypocrisy

However, Mr. Awonekai, in an open letter, says the former president’s ‘concerns’ for the people of the region smack of hypocrisy.

“The 116km road contract was awarded on 7th December, 2016 – elections day. Interestingly, Mr. John Dramani Mahama during his ‘accounting to the people’ tour, had cut the sod, at Lamboya, near Zebilla, for the construction of the same road on Monday, 11th July, 2016, where he landed with a helicopter in a Hollywood style for sod cutting.

“The sod cutting was to enable him come to the Upper East Region because he had made assurance to the chiefs and people of Bawku while speaking at the 27th annual SAMANPIID Festival celebrated by the Kusuag people in the Bawku municipality,” Mr. Awonekai claimed.

Mode of Payment

According to the NPP deputy regional secretary, “Payment certificates as contained in the contract are to be paid from the Road Fund. This is not the right source for funding the contract.”

He said, “The magnitude of the contract (over $600 million) requires that payment be effected directly from the budget and not from the Road Fund. The Road Fund was established for the preservation of Ghana’s road network and not for the payment of big constructions such as this.

“The road is 116km long. Thirteen kilometres out of this have been awarded to a Ghanaian contractor – MAWUMS Constructions Ltd – as a special contract. The remaining 103km have been awarded to a Brazilian contractor – Queiroz Galvao. The reason for awarding such a special contract to MAWUMS Constructions Ltd is still questionable.”

Mr. Awonekai asked the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, “to take a keen interest in this sole-sourced contract awarded by Mr. Mahama’s government,” insisting that “the processes leading to the contract, being sole-sourced, are suspicious and in breach of the Public Procurement Act.

Congratulation

He said he was ‘congratulating’ “the good chiefs and people of Upper East Region for making Mr. John Dramani Mahama walk on our soil.

“Hitherto it has always been a helicopter from Accra to venue grounds in the region with the excuse that we are very far. This eventually led to the unprecedented 44.4% which is still fresh in our minds.”

The NPP regional secretary continued, “Mr Mahama, I am a Frafra from Tanzui Bolgatanga, I am ‘your brother’ as you like it, but to be fair and honest, you are Ghana’s biggest problem and a disappointment to Upper East Region. We are disappointed in you because you presided over impunity, immorality and an internationalized looter government with corruption as its hallmark.”

He said, “Since your unprecedented and humiliating defeat, the NPP government has demonstrated its willingness and commitment to work hard towards addressing the numerous challenges facing region.

“It’s rather unfortunate that whenever Mr. John Dramani Mahama gets the opportunity to speak to unite the NDC, he ends up using the platform to insult, abuse, disrespect the good people of Ghana in one way or the other.”