Jake obetsebi Lamptey’s recent comment that the 10 billion dollar housing deal between Ghana government and STX Korea is another Maybey and Johnson scandal in the making is quite interesting. The NPP chairman described the deal as bogus and said that there is no value for money in the deal. Was I really reading the above from one of the nation’s astute leaders, or was I dreaming about an imaginary politician who has nothing substantive in value to say, yet chose to say something, anyhow, because he needed to make a statement. Is Jake Obetsebi Lamptey serious about his statement? Is he the same man who sold government property to himself? My questions are endless and I need unscripted answers from the NPP chairman. His statement came at the back of similar statements by the Danquah institute and the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA)
The Danquah Institute described the deal between the government of Ghana and the STX Group as very bad one reminiscent of the bad old days of naive and greedy African politicians. The Danquah Institute further stressed that, even before the production begins for Ghana’s new found oil wealth, it is being scandalously mortgaged for a deal that should go to Ghanaian companies at about half the price and that, the deal is arguably a most unpatriotic piece of agreement even by the standards of a corrupt and undemocratic government.
The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association on the other hand stated that, they are extremely disturbed by the nature of the whole $10billion STX deal, calling for its cancellation, since in its present state, the agreement will be damaging to Ghana. “While we commend government’s interventions to significantly tackle the huge housing deficit in Ghana by supporting the construction of 200,000 units in 5years to reduce the estimated 1million housing units deficits, the agreement is shrouded in ambiguity and does not offer value for money” GREDA said!
I see professional and intellectual dishonesty in the issues raised by the NPP, Danquah Institute and GREDA. It is one of the many sad episodes in Ghanaian politics. In twenty first century democratic Ghanaian politics, some of our respected leaders and institutions have the habit of spouting loads of tripe. They speak ill of commonsense where their nascent ideas are laid bare in the face.
What is GREDA talking about? How can you say that the project as it stands now cannot be professionally evaluated but go ahead to state that you can execute it at half the price? On what estimation is that? The statement from the NPP, Danquah Institute and GREDA are just cheap political talk and complete hogwash.
The project according to the agreement is meant for development of holistic communities, and not just housing units, the project will construct “Green Satellite” communities with roads, schools, clinics, shopping malls and other amenities for the same amount. For instance, the 30,000 affordable houses for the security services all over the Ghana at the cost of $1.5billion is a value for money. I am therefore at a loss why quasi-political organizations such as Danquah Institute and GREDA have chosen to indulge in simplistic analysis of dividing the US$1.5billion project cost by 30.000 houses to arrive at a $60,000 per unit figure which is not supported by facts on the ground.
The Koreans are renowned for constructions. They built Dubai and they are advance in technology. The pedigree of STX is quite awesome. They are a conglomerate and are involved in shipping, building, energy and other fields with solid track records. The international rating of STX is A+ so what is all the noise about? This sort of hypocrisy is the source of our nation’s underdevelopment.
Where was Jake Obetsebi Lamptey’s conscience when he read his bizarre statement on the STX – Government of Ghana deal? Am I truly hearing this comments coming from Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, the pauper – politician, who once thought he possessed the magic wand to wish away the nation’s problems. Is this the same gentleman who once argued that it was prudent to allow the Indians to build the Jubilee house? Is Jake Obetsebi Lamptey currently content with the infirmed state of our nation’s housing problems? For how long are we going to allow ourselves to be victimized by the unbridled folly and hypocrisy of these NPP politicians? Even a plot of land is costing more than $50,000 in some parts of Accra so what is these noises all about? Nobody will bring such investment package to your country for no returns. The Danquah Institute and GREDA should stop throwing dust into our eyes. Where are the NPP’s affordable housing they promised Ghanaians? How many affordable houses did the NPP build during their 8 years of governance? The few they tried to build were not completed before they left office and they gave most of them to their cronies so what are they talking about? They should just shut the hell up and allow President Mills to continue with his better Ghana vision. The project is good and no amount of bad press would slow the nation realizing this feet.
Where were GREDA and Danquah Institute when John Kufuor led administration tried to access a loan facility from a hairdressing saloon in the UK?
Having run out of ideas, the NPP and its quasi-political institutions have turned our democracy into a theatre of political comedy and unnecessary vilification. Ghanaian politics is becoming “weirder” with each passing day. As a poor nation, we sat in leisure when the erstwhile NPP regime played politics with many pro-poor policies. Every discerning Ghanaian knows that, as a nation, we face a serious housing problem and if a government in its wisdom decide to build affordable houses for its citizens, what is wrong with that? Is this the first time that a government is providing sovereign guarantee to a foreign company? I am startled by the hypocrisy of Gabby Asare Otchere- Darko and his so - called policy think tank. Where was Gabby Asare Ochere Darko when the contract for the renovation for the flagstaff house was awarded to the Indians? Again, was Gabby Asare Otchere - Darko in Ghana when the NPP majority approved the IFC and CNTCI loans which later turned out to be a fraudulent hoax?
In my opinion, some of our politicians have let our nation down. Like criminal entrepreneurs, they have perverted the values of good politics. They have bought the souls of the hungry public whom they constantly perceive as an army of fools, on whose back they can ride their way to power.
Delusion is no (t) sanity, and the Danquah Institute’s posture on this transaction, in the midst of growing housing problems, is morally revolting to me. Even if there are some problems with the deal, we don’t need Danquah Institute to tell us in their condescending craftiness. We know their likes. Danquah Institute should not be taken serious for they are suffering from identity crises. Every discerning Ghanaian know very well that, they are a research wing of Akufo Addo for President Campaign and not a policy think tank as they want us to believe.
We should move away from baleful engagements and focus on how we can build a better Ghana for all of us. Politicians who prey on the vulnerability of the masses must be treated like petty criminals.
At a time when civilized nations are judged by citizen’s quality of life, we have a matching responsibility as a nation to invest in suitable housing programs to stifle the growing housing deficits. And if the STX deal would help us realize this dream so be it.
I call for a revolution; a mind altering process that offers Ghanaians, the intellectual, interpretive, and critical eyes to see through political hypocrisy. I call for attitudinal revolution; a human quality that confronts, and defeats, mainstream political trickeries that are constantly employed to bait the unsuspecting public to preserve the status quo.
We shall be back!
Emmanuel Dela Coffie
[email protected] / www.delacoffie.wordpress.com