30,000 housing project: STX Korea out; Western Forms America in

The CEO of STX Engineering and Construction Company B K Asamoah has broken his silence on his widely publicized dismissal.

In his first ever interview, Mr. Asamoah told Joy News, his Korean counterparts must go because they have failed to meet their target.

According to him, STX Ghana only went to Korea for two things; money and technology.

However months after president John Mills cut the sod for commencement of the project, there seems to have been little progress on the actual work except for the boardroom wrangling between the Koreans and their Ghanaian counterparts.

However Mr. Asamoah told Sammy Darko in an exclusive interview that his company has found new partners from America and has no need of the Koreans.

According to him they have secured a new American counterpart- Western Forms- a technology provider to use a Mexican technology in the building of the houses.

He stated local contractors will be used in executing the project.

Mr. Asamoah dismissed assertions the deal will have to go back to Parliament, saying the exit of the Koreans should not have any impact on the project.

“The approval of the project was given STX Ghana not Korea, he said, adding “I don't see any where in the agreement which says if the Koreans exited we should go back to Parliament.”

He said the Project is ongoing in Kwabenya and Burma Camp in Accra but said the one in the Police Depot will be delayed.

Meanwhile, policy think tank, Imani Ghana says the current development only vindicates its long held position that the deal with Korea was a wrong move.

Vice president of IMANI Kofi Bentil said Ghana has enough technology to execute this project at a cheaper cost than has been announced.

He said if the tax payers money is going to be used in the payment of the project enough due diligence has to be made.

“Why are we still bending backwards to make them (STX Ghana) implement the project,” he noted.

He is convinced the project must go back to Parliament for more scrutiny in the face of the changes.

Story by Joy News/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana