We have always been galvanizing support for the local industry. We are being urged to consume locally produced goods. We have been addicted to importation for so long and it’s hurting our economy. As much as we are craving support for the local industry, it should not be biased. That support should be evenly distributed. It shouldn’t be skewed towards a particular individual or people within a particular political class. But what we are seeing today concerning government contracts is saying the exact opposite. If we want the local industry to thrive we must support them.
Sir David Adjaye is a world-renowned Ghanaian architect based in the United Kingdom who has been the brain behind some amazing edifices all over the world. I am expecting that if government contracts must be awarded, local architects should be left out. But under the current government, all huge government contracts are being awarded to Sir David Adjaye and that can not be a coincidence.
Honorary vice president of Imani Africa Bright Simmons has been doing some analysis of the awarding of contracts to David Adjaye. He said that by the time he is done with all the projects awarded to him, David Adjaye would been paid 300 million dollars which to Bright Simmons is monstrous and inflationary. Watch his analysis below.
I am sure there is something the ordinary Ghanaian doesn’t know. I want to ask that is David Adjaye the only competent architect in this country? Don’t we have locally based architects competent enough? That’s not my only problem. What is worrying is that most of these contracts are sole-sourced to David Adjaye alone. My understanding of sole-sourcing is that it is only done if the project in question is of utmost importance or it is an emergency.
But none of these contracts awarded to Sir David Adjaye fall under any of these categories. We can’t eat our cake and have it back. We can’t be crying for support for the local industry without giving them the necessary push. If it must be done, it must be done well.
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