Kwame Agbodza
The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of ‘inflating’ the cost of cocoa roads project by three times compared to what they claimed was awarded under the erstwhile Mahama administration.
National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Adaklu and Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee, Kwame Governs Agbodza alleged the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) had awarded about 4,000 km of road at a cost of GH¢14 billion as against GH¢5billion being the cost of about 2,050 km of the cocoa roads awarded under the NDC government.
Addressing the media in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr. Agbodza insisted the figure was outrageous and that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government would find it difficult to convince Ghanaian that the contracts were not padded.
“We have always complained about the cost of the project. The Minister deliberately didn’t tell you and just threw some figures out. We know the Minister and his government were complaining when they were in opposition about the GH¢5 billion cocoa road programme where they claimed the NDC government awarded the cocoa roads without the supporting fund.”
“As we speak here, Citi FM published a story where COCOBOD is alleged to have spent about $10 million to do an audit on cocoa roads. Up to today, the Minister is unable to tell us the outcome of that cocoa road audit,” he said.
The NDC MP continued: “The Ministry is talking about 6,000km of road. In this House some of the loans we have approved, the NPP government awards projects where 1km is sometimes $ 2million. So if you’re going to build 6,000 km, at what rate and where are the roads supposed to be going?” he asked
Mr. Agbodza, who cast doubt on the government’s ability to construct the 6,000 km of roads by 2024, said the 2021 budget only made provision of GH¢1billion for capital investment and the government, at its best, could construct 300 km.
“Already, feeder roads have got about 8,000km of road under contract and you are saying you are going to build 6,000km by 2024, who are you kidding? Whose project is going to be suspended?” he quizzed.
The Roads and Transport Committee Ranking Member said the sector minister Kwasi Amoako-Atta had what he called “a complete disregard for the truth when he spoke at the government’s ‘Meet the Press’ series.”
He again stated that the Minister was unable to impress on the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to “provide enough resources, and by the time the Finance Minister provided the resources, because of this policy of contractors being paid interest on their delay certificates; sometime the interest on the payment is as high as 40 percent.”
“That 40 percent sometimes does not even go to the contractors; it goes to the lenders so the value does not add up. The Minister is not able to tell the Finance Minister to de-cap the road fund.in the 2021 budget you notice that the Minister of Finance agreed that the road fund will get about GHC1.8 billion but then only GHC 1billion will be available to the Road Ministry,” he indicated.
He alleged without providing any basis that the Minister of Finance took away that money and used it for consumption which he later paid interest on that money.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House