Government, thy name is procurement. In contemporary motherland politics, procurement is often for worse than for better. Some of the better ensures and assures, pushing the forward development of the motherland. For example, many are astounded with works on railways happening all over since January 7, 2017. Yet I haven’t heard a single word about unjustifiable railway spending. It all seems like the value for money declared on that January 7, is actually working.
Nevertheless, the comfort of people in government is procurement. The road out of power is procurement. That is why when on inauguration day January 7, 2017 I heard the expression ‘value for money’ being pronounced as a goal in prudent overseeing of the disbursement of the motherland kitty, I was all excited.
In some eight years prior to that date (specifically from January 7, 2009 to January 6, 2016), there were all kinds of procurement issues. Create, loot and share judgment debt procurement was put at USD750 million. There was the rotten Brazilian Embraer deal, SSNIT, NCA, NIA, BOST, COCOBOD and so many other outrageous procurement deals. Sums procured corruptibly were so huge that my friend’s heart jumps into the mouth anytime they are mentioned. I can imagine compatriots who have developed heart troubles because of the shock of the stink of corruption.
The ridiculous bus branding and Kumasi Airport runway rehabilitation incurred loans that still make no sense. Kwame Nkrumah interchange, Kasoa interchange, and so on, had huge sums wasted as the Kufuor gang of four roads sat still waiting for continuation of construction to completion. Potholes developed due to neglect because some toll collection and road tax proceeds had disappeared in corruption.
It is clear many who want to enter government these days are interested in so doing because of procurement. Teeth, those of babies in particular, are sharpened for biting the chunkiest from the national cake. V8 and mansions are the bounty of the ‘amp?br?’ generation of politicians. They are particularly of the congress breed. I am still searching for the CVs they have been presenting to parliament for vetting to become ministers. Many of them are former student leaders who chopped SRC levies paid by struggling fellow students without being held responsible for that chopping. The habit is extended to the national scene.
Sole sourcing appears to be the devil in the procurement for self-enrichment game. No one ever seems to have been held accountable for misapplying it. We hear it was adopted every day. We hear it is capriciously used every day. Yet we are yet to hear anyone being held for misusing it. Often, it is the one that attracts the massive sums of money that are anything but value for money spending.
These days, some procurement questions are being asked. Those who appear to have profited most from it in the past appear to be the loudest in the protests. What is bothersome is that, they are able to shout loudly without anyone drawing attention to their past or locus. For example, when a sharp-toothed talked Norway ‘overspending,’ no one asked him whether it isn’t his usual lies, including lying to the august Parliament of the Republic.
A quintessential amp?br? politician, he gloats in wild allegations. He is a lead player in the lie continuously and aggressively and you will be believed. Because even Parliament hasn’t dealt with him, despite clear infraction of its rule of ‘thou shalt not lie to it’, he continues to indulge in it. They did it in school to cheat, never left it and have grown to live it. Maybe it may not be long before double salary will catch up with him, expose him and deal with him.
We have legislative and regulatory pieces to check procurement corruption, yet the evil persists, devastatingly disrupting the motherland’s development. Those who have blatantly exploited it to become rich turn round with conscienceless disbelief but also without the least moral justification to criticise others for doing it. Toothless laws and regulations; they all seem to appear.
If I were a TV host, I would line them up, one after another to tell compatriots about the lives they have lived. As programme guests, they would be made to stay off their lies and rather tell compatriots about their real lives. How those lives reflect the struggles of the unemployed, disadvantaged (especially economically), vulnerable compatriots.
Often, it is in the names of these unfortunate compatriots that they lie all the time to maintain their comfortable lives secured through election cheating which gave them the power to create, loot and share our commonly owned money and resources. As at now, they believe compatriots have forgotten about their ill-gotten wealth obtained from government procurement. Maybe the special prosecutor would soon tell them they are on the wrong side of the motherland’s wellbeing
By Kwasi Ansu-Kyeremeh