Samuel Ayeh-Paye
It has been stressed that the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government left a huge debt at Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Company Ltd after hiring the company’s buses for party activities.
This was raised by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayensuano, Samuel Ayeh-Paye.
Contributing to the debate on the 2018 budget yesterday, the Ayensuano MP said the NDC government did not only bequeath a huge debt to the company, but also completely run it down – bringing the company on its knees – before leaving office.
Mr Ayeh-Paye, who is also the Chairman of the Transport Committee of Parliament, recalled that when the NPP government, under former President Kufour, was leaving office in 2009, it left 1,300 MMT buses in working condition for the NDC – which took over power – but when it (NDC) was leaving office in 2017, only 500 were left, with 369 in working condition.
“The NDC government completely incapacitated the MMT and left it with a huge debt so now the company is finding it difficult to pay its suppliers, particularly Ghana Oil Company (GOIL), which supplies it with fuel,” the MP said.
He therefore called on the NDC and its MPs to quickly go and pay the debt that has been left at MMT.
Mr Ayeh-Paye also said that Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), under the NDC administration, gave out outrageous road contracts when they were about to leave office, with about 36 of those contracts not in existence.
“We are going to tell Ghanaians what the NDC did to the economy after leaving a huge debt and arrears for this government to offset,” he posited.
The Ayensuano MP, whose contribution to the debate did not go down well with members of the minority NDC, said the government would complete all road projects which were started by the NDC government, adding, “The NPP will not behave like the NDC which refused to complete most of the projects left by the first NPP government, including the affordable housing projects.
“We will continue with the expansion work at the Takoradi and Tema Harbours and also employ a lot of sea farers, popularly known as seamen, to work at the ports,” he assured.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr