General News of Monday, 25 June 2018
Source: rainbowradioonline.com
2018-06-25
Franklin Cudjoe, President of policy think tank, IMANI Ghana
Founding President of policy think tank, IMANI-Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has reiterated his resolve to fight the controversial Kelni GVG contract.
The outspoken policy analyst describing the contract as a “grand theft’’, said he will relocate to a different country should the current suit pending before the court go in favour of government.
He was delivering a lecture on “Identifying Policy Gaps and Right Headline, Right Content’’, at the African Journalists for Economic Opportunities (AJEOT) at Koforidua in the Eastern Region.
He slammed the Communications Ministry for failing to respond to the questions IMANI-Africa has demanded about the contract.
He insisted that the contract is duplication of jobs and a needless drain on the county’s scarce resource.
Two citizens have dragged government to court to halt the implementation of the contract with IT firm, Kelni GVG, for the real-time call traffic monitoring.
The two, Sara Asafu-Adjaye and Maximus Amertogoh want the Minister of Communication, the National Communication Authority, and the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Attorney General, the Ghana Chamber Telecommunications and the telecommunications networks to cease the traffic monitoring.
The Plaintiffs are also requesting from the court ‘’an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the respondents, whether, by themselves, their servants, workmen, hirelings, agents, privies or any persons claiming under through them, whosoever described from implementing and operationalizing the Common Platform until the final determination of this suit.’’
Commenting on the issue and the court case, Franklin Cudjoe said the contract which is estimated at $89 million is actually $178 million.
He said, ‘’the Ministry of Communication went to contract an unknown entity. As we speak we do not know the entity. Stop believing the $78 million, the actual figure is $178 million; that is the contract worth.’’
Franklin Cudjoe stressed the deal will invade our privacy and said, ‘’I may relocate if the ruling is different. This not to threaten the judge or anyone, but I will fight this deal till the last drop my blood.’’
AJEOT is being organised by Institute for Liberty and Policy Innovation (ILAPI) in partnership with Network for Free Society, ATLAS Network and Language of Liberty Institute.