Calling On Hon. Salisu Bamba To Apology To The People Of Ejura/Sekyedumase In The Ashanti Region

It is indeed a privilege to have access to your well listened platforms to set the records straight concerning a well rehearsed and calculated lies which has for sometimes been thrown into the public domain through the power of the media by Hon. Salisu Bamba, MP for Ejura-Sekyedumase Constituency concerning some on- going developments projects within the Constituency.

It will be recalled that on the 7th of June, 2014, between the hours of 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, Hon. Salisu Bamba during his discussion at the studios of Kessben Fm, made certain pronouncements regarding his achievements as an MP. Notable among them as he alluded includes: ;(1) Construction of speed rumps (2) Lobbying for the Ejura-Abota storms drains to reduce the perennial flooding (3) provision of computers to the ICT laboratory of the Sekyedumase SHS-which was without a single computer; (4) Renovation of all toilets in Sekyedumase which for several years had spoiled; (5) Construction of clinic-CHIPS Compound; and lastly (6) Construction of shells for the Abota market.

TEIN wishes to categorically state on records that, concerning the on –going construction of speed rumps along the Mampong-Ejura-Atebubu and Sekyedumase Highways which our claimed to be the chief lobbyist; the project is purely the handiwork of His Excellency John Mahama led NDC government conceived through the creativity of the following personalities: former MCE-Hon. Martha Bruckner, former MP-Hon Yussif Pangabu, and our indefatigable MCE- Hon.Alhaji Muhammed Braimah Bawa. The speed rumps construction is NOT through the lobbying of Hon.Salisu Bamba, as he has be alluding to in every public or private platform.

The history behind the urgency for speed rumps construction on the above mentioned roads culminating in the tender process and its subsequent award of contract dates back to 5th March, 2012 and 4th June, 2012 when the former MCE wrote officially to the Ministry of Roads and Highways concerning the need for the Ministry to come to the aid of residents of communities along these roads, as well as the courtesy call on the current MCE-Hon. Alhaji Muhammed Braimah Bawa by the then Minister of Roads and Highways-Hon.Amin Amidu Sulemani on the Monday, January 27, 2014 and subsequently reported in the Tuesday, January 28, 2014 Ghanaian Times, of which the current MCE-Alhaji Bawa brought to the attention of the Minister, the urgency for the Ministry to construct speed rumps along the said roads. In his response to the MCE as captured by the Ghanaian Times; the Minister said inter alia that “ the Ghana Highway Authority had taken note of the speed limits and was designing appropriate speed ramps on the roads to check over-speeding that pose a danger to road users” .

It is therefore ridiculous for an MP to parade himself with corresponding letters between himself and the Director of Ashanti Regional Highways Authority dated 7th March, 2014 and 16th May, 2014; which read among others…with reference to our numerous discussions regarding road accidents and the need for construction of speed rumps in Ejura township, I am please to inform you that I have sourced for funding and would like your outfit to as a matter of urgency to find a contractor to execute the job; and ….with reference to your letter dated 7th March,2014 on the above subject matter, a copy of which is attached for ease of reference .Kindly be informed that contract for construction of speed rumps at key locations along the Mampong-Ejura highway, including Ejura Township, has been awarded to contractor.

TEIN NDC has these questions for this disappointed MP: - (a) Is he aware that tendering process and its subsequent award of contract takes more than one month?, and so the date of his letter and the date of which the contract letter was written (17th April,2014) could not under any stretch of logical imagination been considered as lobbying/influencing the award of the contract.(b) Is he also aware that the content of his letter exposes him to the fact that the Ashanti Regional Highways Authority through their discussions indicated to him that the Ministry has already awarded the project to a contractor but was in the process of sourcing funds for the project to commence ?(c) Is he aware that the content of his letter again exposes him as been mischievous; when he is fully aware that personal funds are not used to execute government projects, unless under a PPP agreements;(d) Does he know that the Regional Highways Authority like any state institution, do not have the mandate to take such decisions concerning contract but rather act upon directives and advices from the Minister and the Chief Director before a contract is awarded, hence a mere letter to the Ashanti Regional Director even cannot constitute lobbying for a project? (e) Again is the MP aware that the MCE has a portion to sign on the contractors' certificate and not he the MP.

On the MPs claim that he is taking steps to lobby for the construction of Ejura-Abota storms drains to reduce the perennial flooding in area, the NDC wishes to kindly inform our MP that he is belated in this move, since the 2014 budget statement of the NDC government of which was read in the august house which he the MP is a member and copies subsequently given to all MPs, boldly captured the Ejura and Sekyedumase storms drains to have been awarded on contract so as to curtail the perennial flooding of the Abota and Sekyedumase area. Again the Ejura town roads have also been awarded on contract by the Municipality which will also help to reduce flooding within the Municipality. TEIN KNUST therefore finds it very interesting that as an MP who came through the words that the former MP was not visible in Parliamentary sittings, he will now be calling on all of us to find lasting solution to a problem which its permanent solution had been sought for and was even presented in the very house which he is a member for approval? To us as a body, his statement gives us these impressions that :either he has not been attending parliamentary sittings or when he attend he does not pay attention to deliberations of the floor of the house, and again the Ejura-Sekyedumase Constituency didn't get a better candidate to replace the former MP.

The MP also claimed on the said studio that he has stocked and furnished, the empty ICT laboratory of Sekyedumase SHS with computers, TEIN wishes to place on record and state that such claims by our MP is palpable falsehood and ridiculous for even an Honourable member of parliament to make such claims when indeed, Hon. Salisu Bamba had not SUPPLIED A SINGLE COMPUTER TO THAT SCHOOL since his ascension into that high office. Little did we ever believe that the MP could lie through his teeth about things he has never dreamt off; at best TEIN will want to assume that it was a slip of tongue, hence Hon. Salisu should apologise to his constituents regarding such claims.

Indeed what is of record and which could be accredited to Hon.Salisu is his benevolence in the provision of two sets of four sub-standard footballs which he supplied to the two SHS in the constituency during the run-up of the 2012 elections in his capacity as a candidate. TEIN will want to educate our Hon.MP that Sekyedumase SHS ICT laboratory had never been empty. TEIN again wishes to emphasize in a loud voice that all the computers currently in the Sekyedumase SHS Laboratory were supplied by His Excellency John Mahama -NDC led government under the Better Ghana Laptops Initiative, and also through the auspices of the former MP. Hon. Yussif Pangabu. For The Breakdown: Better Ghana Laptops-40, And Hon.Yussif Pangabu Desktop Computers-20.TEIN KNUST as a research and an intellectual group within the Ashanti region entreat all media houses and well meaning Ghanaians to conduct an independent study to ether affirm or refute our position on the said laptops.

On the issue of toilets renovation at Sekyedumase Township, our Hon.MP proclaimed to the admiration of his hosts but shocking to the town folks and NDC that; he has renovated all the non functioning toilets in the community. TEIN will like to bring to the notice of our MP and the listening public as well as the media that; there are five public toilets within the Sekyedumase township and so mere replacements of old roofing sheets and painting of just two of these toilets without an attempt to distill the toilets within the manhole cannot constitute a project and as such an achievement. Again ,Hon.Salisu, it should be made known to our MP that ,this is no new practice as even the former MP, Hon.Yussif Pangabu did a complete rehabilitation of several public toilets within the Municipality during his tenure as an MP and yet he (the MP-by then a candidate) and the NPP within the Municipality quizzed why Hon. Pangabu should boast of it as achievements. It is therefore ironic for the Hon. Salisu Bamba to now make a u-turn and asserts that mere replacement of old roofing sheet and painting of the toilets constitute achievement and project.

Regarding the construction of clinic-CHIPS Compound; TEIN once wishes to communicate to our MP that this is no novelty since it is a mandatory component of the MPs Common Fund under health.

TEIN wishes to bring to the attention of the MP that regarding the Abota Market as a body we have taken notice of construction of shells which basically is made up of roofing sheets, 4*4, metal poles and ground floor costing a hooping amount of GHc76, 000.00 on a market build on a half plot. What we are not certain is whether the right quantity of materials were used for such public property ; and the individual cost build up at the then prevailing market price or whether the likes of he-the MP can question anybody on financial diligence ,if indeed that structure really cost the said amount as he has put forward to the Assembly..

Long Live TEIN KNUST
Long Live NDC
God Bless Ghana
Fatawu Abubakar Sadique
President
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