NDC is now eating humble pie in an Action Year - Sekou

Dr. Sekou Nkrumah

Former NDC member, Dr. Sekuo Nkrumah has stated emphatically that the controversial STX housing deal is a promise that has failed.

According to him, there is no way the Mills-led administration can execute the project in just one year after wasting three years in office.

The STX housing project was a major idea by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to provide 200,000 units of houses at a cost of $10 billion as part of efforts to solve the accommodation deficit in the country.

The first phase of the project involves the construction of 30 thousand housing units to accommodate personnel of the security agencies but the project stalled after boardroom wrangling between the partners of the project.

Government is now in a dilemma on what to do. Some members of the ruling government have suggested the contract be abrogated and given to a local company.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which kicked against the deal citing inconsistencies in the project agreement, now feels vindicated.

Members of the NPP who were unimpressed about the deal said the Mills-led administrating did not do due diligence to the agreement, adding that the whole STX deal smacks of corruption.

Sekou Nkrumah, son of Ghana's first president on Asempa FM's Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, could not agree more with the opposition.

He said the NDC shot itself in the foot by declaring 2011 as an Action Year after failing to fulfill the numerous campaign promises in the Better Ghana Agenda.

Drawing an analogy from football, Dr. Nkrumah said the NDC is just like a football striker who shoots over the bar when he is one-on-one with the goal keeper.

“They (NDC) promised Ghanaians and they shot over the bar. They are eating humble pie in Action Year oh, the year they said it is going to be full of action,” he said.

Sekou Nkrumah expressed disappointment in government's inability to deliver on the much anticipated and hyped housing project.

However, the Managing Editor of the Al Hajj newspaper, Alhaji Iddrisu Bature also a panelist on the programme expressed frustration at government's position on the STX deal.

“I am not happy about the President and the Vice President's handling of the STX issue so far. It still beat my mind why government has still not made a definitive pronouncement (about the issue).

The NDC sympathizer said it is clear that the STX housing deal would not come to fruition but the onus lies on the government to declare its fate.

Alhaji Bature could not fathom why government has not taken any action on the issue when they had prior knowledge about the turn of events months ago.

“There is a plan B so why are they not applying the plan B? Government [knew] about this four months ago; the plan B is ready with the resources so why are you waiting” he bemoaned.

Meanwhile, President John Evan Atta Mills is expected to take a final decision on the controversial STX Housing deal soon after the counsel of the Attorney General.