NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South and a member of the Finance Committee in Parliament, Samuel Atta Akyea
The controversy surrounding the purchase of five aircraft for both the military and executive is still raging, with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) making a fresh demand of an invoice regarding the expenditure of over $250million.
This new development in the battle for transparency over the proposed purchase of the Embraer aircraft and the inclusion of the facilities whose cost the Minority in Parliament deems outrageous as it is put at over $80million when the manufacturer’s price is $32million.
Leading the new front is NPP MP for Abuakwa South who is also a member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Samuel Atta Akyea, who has pointed out in an interview with Radio Gold in Accra that the invoice would spell out the specifics, as regards the cost of the five aircraft and the accessories including an Embraer 190 meant for the military and the executive.
When the expenditure document, otherwise referred to as the proforma invoice, is provided as demanded by the Minority, it would put to rest the sore point which has raised the political temperature of the country in the two weeks.
He said, “If you want to buy a gadget and you are trying to find the money, you are entitled to a pro forma invoice. With this, the additional will be understood since it will indicate the various prices. This is simple and it is going to help in resting this matter.” He added, “We can put this matter to rest if a pro forma is submitted to Parliament for everyone to understand.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Information Minister
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, a deputy Minister of Information, found the demand untenable and stated that government was not going to agree to that demand.
He was uncharitable with MPs on the Minority side who had shown that they did not ask the right questions on the floor of the House. If they did, he said, they would not be making this demand now, describing the development as a self-indictment on their part.
“His asking for the basics is an indication that MPs don’t ask the necessary questions in Parliament. It means they don’t ask to see the basics. I think it is a self-indictment and the reduction of our politics to a very low partisan level,” he said, adding that “I am not too sure if this is a request we are going to honour”.
Mr. Ablakwa maintained that no responsible government would put out matters pertaining to its national security in the public domain.
In a response, Atta Akyea asked why the deputy minister, in the first place, did not produce the actual invoice from the manufacturer which would silence everybody.
“Even if the opposition has lied, can’t the manufacturer come out to say this is the basic price and here is the pro forma invoice?” Hon. Akyea fired back.
The Minority in Parliament last week abstained from approving the purchase agreement of the Embraer 190 because of doubts about the credibility of the $105m cost involved, including the construction of a $17million hangar.
By A.R. Gomda