NADMO WRITES TO THE CHRONICLE

OUR ATTENTION has been drawn to your FRONT PAGE STORY headlined: NADMO SIGNS $8M DODGY DEAL WITH CHINA…… and leaves parliament in the dark: Vol: 23 No. 100 dated Thursday June, 6 2013.

PER Article 162 (clause 6) of the 1992 Constitution we demand that this Rejoinder shall be given the same prominence as same as your FRONT PAGE STORY.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) would like to state categorically that the entire content of the story is totally FALSE and a careful reading of the story by any discerning person would reveal that this is a mere calculated attempt to tarnish the hard earned reputation of the National Co-ordinator, Mr. Kofi Portuphy and the entire NADMO establishment.

 
     THE FALSE STORY
 
a.)                First and foremost NADMO had NOT signed any FINAL FINANCIAL LOAN AGREEMENT OF $8 MILLION with The China Railway Engineering Design Institute (TAIN JIN) Co. Ltd (CREDI) without prior approval from Parliament as the story intends to mislead the good people of Ghana.

b.)                Secondly, the amount quoted in the story i.e. $8m is totally false, which exposes The Chronicle and its faceless and cruel sources trying in vain to tarnish the hard earned reputation of the National Co-ordinator for their personal gains.

c.)                Though we do not know the financial background of the said reporter, Mr. Daniel Nonor, we wonder the basis upon which a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between these state institutions, China Railway Engineering Design Institute Co. Ltd and NADMO constitute a final financial agreement of a loan facility worth $8m, which has already hit NADMO accounts in Accra without parliament approval.

d.)               May be this financial theory could only be understood by Mr. Ebo Quansah and his financial reporters at the Chronicle Newspaper – 'MOU, AS A FINAL FINANCIAL AGREEMENT FOR $8M LOAN FACILITY FROM CHINA TO NADMO IN GHANA WITHOUT PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL'

 
e.)                 What Chronicle and its financial reporters must understand is that MOU is just the intent or the first stage of any agreement be it financial, purchasing or any other agreement between two or more parties and it does not constitute a final agreement thereby requiring parliamentary approval before it is signed.

 
THE FACTS
 
f.)                 The facts are that NADMO had indeed signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the CHINA RAILWAY ENGINEERING DESIGN INSTITUTE CO. LTD, for the construction of an office complex for national, regional and district secretariats and the estimated amount is far above The Chronicle's $8m quoted in their article.

g.)                The process however began during the tenure of the former Interior Minister, Hon. W.K.Aboah, with the signing of the MOU and currently every document on this transaction is before the current Minister of Interior, Hon. Akwasi Ahwoi.

h.)                If The Chronicle cares to know, this is how the process works: After due diligence by officers or technocrats from the Interior and Finance Ministries is done the document would be laid before  Cabinet for further scrutiny  before it would be put before parliament for parliamentary approval.

i.)                   At this stage, when the transaction has not even gone to Cabinet yet for scrutiny and approval, why should The Chronicle create such erroneous impression in the minds of the good people of Ghana by publishing this false and wicked story that NADMO and KOFI PORTUPHY had signed an $8m DODGY DEAL WITH CHINA? The Chronicle further stated that ' Sources say the funds for the project are already at hand, and there is growing fear of underhand dealings, considering the fact that parliament was sidelined in the negotiations ', how a Newspaper worth its sort could publish such a story without checking its veracity is what beats our imagination.

j.)                  To conclude, NADMO would like to emphasise that the above mentioned story is false and the obvious motivation for the publication of such an article is to tarnish the hard earned reputation of the National Co-ordinator, Mr. Kofi Portuphy and the organisation as a whole.

k.)                The National Disaster Management Organisation takes exception to such level of unprofessionalism where the veracity of a story is not checked before publishing and would like to reiterate that the doors of our Public Relations Unit are always open to any media institution that may require any clarification on any issue related to NADMO.

 
ISSUED BY THE
PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION
CONTACT: P.O.BOX CT 3994
CANTOMENTS – ACCRA
TELEPHONE: 0302-780541
E-MAIL: [email protected] mailto:[email protected]