Mr. Mayor, How Much Was Invested In The Rattray Park?

Yes, it was a blissful sight to behold in Kumasi on Friday, June 19. The much-talked about Rattray Park, described as the “Personal Legacy” of the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Kumasi, Mr. Kojo Bonsu, was commissioned. Admittedly, it is a nice project – a state-of-the-art facility befitting any modern city.

Apart from providing leisure and recreational services to residents of the Ashanti Region and beyond, the economic benefits of such a project cannot be underestimated. Research has proven that such attractions have the potential to boost a city’s economy through revenue generation. This can be epitomised broadly under the following three categories:

Walkable neighbourhoods, parks and open spaces can generate economic benefits to local governments, home owners and businesses, through increasing property values and related property tax revenue.

Open spaces such as parks and recreation areas can have a positive effect on nearby residential property values, and can lead to proportionately higher property tax revenues for local governments. Compact, walkable developments can provide economic benefits to real estate developers through higher home sale prices, enhanced marketability, and faster sales or leases than conventional development.

I have, since Friday, monitored several news portals and social media platforms. People are sharing pictures and videos of the edifice on their walls. In fact, a page on Facebook named “Rattray Park, Kumasi” has suddenly gathered several thousands of likes within 24 hours after the project was out-doored and opened for public viewing.

Even one of the harshest critics of this government on Facebook, Mr. Newton Justice Offei, one of the right hand men of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary, Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, spent his precious space to commend the MCE for the laudable initiative.

To this end, I will not even attempt to take any shine off the project. It is a good one, and we must all commend the authorities for the initiative. Perhaps, this should motivate custodians of the once popular Children’s Park located at Amakom, which has now become a safe haven for criminals, to consider a total revamp of the facility.

In fact, I remember several years ago, during the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, an effort was made, under the auspices of Her Royal Highness, Lady Julia Osei Tutu, to resuscitate the project. It is my hope that it comes on board once again, but, of course, that will depend on whether the rumour that the park will be sold out for other project is true or not.

Now back to my point. I think that we are all blinded by the beautiful nature of Rattray Park, to the extent that we have all forgotten (including the media) to demand accountability as far as the cost of the project is concerned. For readers to understand me well, I will try to recollect some events that preceded the commencement of this project.

On July 7, 2014, some concerned assembly members held a press conference. At that press conference, the Spokesperson, Maxwell Ofosu Boakye, who is the Assembly Member for Bremang Abusuakruwa, enumerated several issues as far as activities of the KMA were concerned. They lamented about the arbitrariness, lack of transparency and accountability in the activity of the assembly under the leadership of Kojo Bonsu.

They cited several occasions where the Mayor has refused to consult the assembly before taking action, and anytime they drew his attention to the anomaly, Mayor Bonsu will shrug them off and do his own thing. According to them, the KMA is more of an authoritative assembly rather than an administrative assembly, where decisions must be approved by its members before any execution can be done.

One of such projects, which has generated numerous debates since Mr. Kojo Bonsu assumed office, is the now completed Rattray Park. The executives of the assembly, including the MCE himself, the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Godwin Okumah-Nyame, have all kept mute about the cost and financial build up of the project.

They have wasted every opportunity granted them to give the public the financial details about the much-cherished project. It has always been “Oh, we will give the details as soon as the project is done. Oh don’t worry, when it is commissioned, we will tell the world how much went into it; it is the completion of the project that matters,” those were the words we often heard the Mayor and his lieutenants, including the PRO, voice out anytime a question was posed to them about the funding of Rattray Park.

And then it came to pass that on Friday the project was commissioned, amidst fun fair and jamboree. Yes, all of a sudden, we should all go to sleep and sing the praises of the KMA boss.

On Fox FM yesterday, the KMA PRO, once again, refused to disclose the cost of the project, conveniently skipping the question, by explaining that he didn’t want any discrepancy to arise between his figure and that of the official one. (But I thought the PRO is supposed to be the official mouthpiece of the assembly).

However, during the official commissioning of the project, the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, made a statement which struck me hard, and for which reason I decided to piece together this article.

The President, in his address, stated: “Instead of the public commending the MCE for the excellent project, some people are making cynical noises”, referring to people who raised initial concerns about the amount of money going into the project, and lack of transparency about the financial arrangements.

“Cynical noises” paaa, Mr. President? What is cynical about a concerned citizen seeking to know the amount of money that went into constructing a state-funded project? I am not about to make conjecture or any unsubstantiated allegations, but why the MCE, from the onset, has refused to open up on the financial details beats my imagination. Is there anything the people are not telling us? Has somebody got something to hide? Why should we be kept in the dark over the funding cost of a simple project like a recreational park?

It is worrying when our elected public officials, to whom we have entrusted our resources, decide to insult our conscience and intelligence, simply because we are demanding harmless information about how much has gone into a state-sponsored project.

The last time I checked, “cynical” meant “doubting or contemptuous of human nature, or of the motives, goodness, or sincerity of others.” It also connotes “mocking, scornful or sneering.” I do not, however, think that demanding accountability for a public project falls into the above stated meanings.

Mr. President, it has been one instance too many, and I think that if you can tone down on the innuendoes and insinuations, it will be better for all of us. You are the first gentleman of the land and a Communication Expert from the last time I checked, but recent events give me a deep impression that maybe, and just maybe, your communication prowess has been hugely overestimated.

Aside this, I just want to know what it is about accountability that our leaders are so scared of? I do all remember how a simple renovation of the Kumasi Airport cost $29 million, and how a GH¢200,000 Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) project undertaken by this same Mayor generated huge controversy some months ago.

Of course, some assembly members insist that there is more to it than the information we are getting. They claim the officials have refused to make the amount public because they cannot account for it. I want to associate myself with the concerns of these assembly members. We must demand accountability from the Mayor, because it is our right.

It is not cynical noise!! Adieu!