By
Samuel Akumatey, GNA
Ho, Nov. 08, GNA –
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has challenged
Government to release audit reports on road projects in the country awarded
under the John Mahama administration to justify its delay in completing them.
Mr Kafui Agbleze,
Regional Communications Director of the Party, at a press conference in Ho,
said Government after assumption of office placed all contracts on hold, citing
contract inflation by the previous administration.
He alleged that US$10million
was spent on the audits, an action he described as “bad policy decision”
causing the nation to suffer consequences of bad roads for three years since
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took office.
“You will recall in
2017, after the NPP government led by Nana Addo assumed office, they put on
hold all road projects that were under construction by the previous government
with the sole aim of auditing the road contracts that were awarded under the
Mahama led government because the Nana Addo led NPP thought the project were
inflated.
“Ladies and
gentlemen, which company exists in the world that when one wants to audit, the
company has to stop work for the auditing to be done. This only exists under
Nana Addo who claimed to be in a hurry.
“What we know as
best practice is that work continues while auditors carry on with their work
and if there are adverse findings with the work those found culpable are
surcharged”.
He said it was
unfortunate that though government spent over USD10 million on the audit, it
had no report to show Ghanaians, saying, “what we know is only the Roads
Minister coming out to say that there has been no adverse findings or inflation
of any cost of road projects awarded by the previous government”.
Mr Agbleze demanded
that Government made public its findings because the audit was conducted with
taxpayers’ money.
He mention some
roads constructed or started during the Mahama administration, which had been abandoned
and left to further deteriorate.
Mr Agbleze said the
decision to patch potholes on roads to be used by the President during his tour
of the Volta Region meant “people in the Region are undeserving of using
roads without potholes”.
The Communications
Director said contrary to claims that the Mahama government did little as far
as roads were concerned, a good number of roads were completed in almost all
districts and municipalities in the Region.
Mr Agleze accused
the NPP government of also abandoning other major social intervention projects
in the Region, notably the Adidome water project, denying many communities in
the five districts it would serve, potable water.
He said other
projects in health had been left hanging, and also pointed to the completed
abattoir at Sokode, near Ho, which he said had been left to rot, as well as the
Ho Airport.
Mr Agbleze noted
that Government still could not point to a single project in the Region under
its flagship One District One Factory policy initiative.
“The Nana Addo led
government cannot point to any major project in the Volta Region during his
three years so far in government. This is amply demonstrated by his inability
to commission any major project during his tour of the region,” he stated.
GNA
