The On-Going Rural Electrification Project is an NPP Project – STUNNAD

STUNNAD has lay the bare facts about the blatant lies by the NDC government about the on-going Rural Electrification Projects to the good people of Ghana and set the records straight that the said rural electrification contract and the loan facility for the project was concluded and signed by the then NPP government.

Quoting from the Performance Audit Report on the Extension of Electricity to 1200 Communities in Ghana by the Auditor-General dated 21 August 2014 as his source, the national president of STUNNAD, Chris Arthur stated that the NDC government cannot and should not take any credit for supplying electricity for rural the communities. In paragraph 47 of the Auditor-General report, it is clearly stated that “the agreement for the turnkey rural electrification project was initially signed on 26 April 2006. We found that it was not until 16 September 2008 that the Credit Agreement was signed paving the way for the commencement of the construction works in August 2010.

In paragraph 30 of the same Auditor-General’s report it is stated “….Additionally, section 3 of the Loans Act 1970, Act 335, requires Cabinet to approve the raising of an external loan, From our review of the procurement documents, we found that Cabinet gave its approval for the loan agreement on 17 July 2008 and subsequently it was laid before Parliament and a resolution passed on 12 August 2008 to approve the loan”.

Contract and Projected number of beneficiary communities

It is important to note that the project was to be executed over a 5-year period but the NDC government deliberately caused it to be delayed and it is in its 8^th year at the end of 2015. This rural electrification project has been captured in the NDC propagandist green book as one of their achievement to score political gains. In fact, the auditors indicated in their report that NDC government upon assuming office used huge sums of the contract loan to purchased expensive luxurious vehicles including Lexus LX 570 and Chrysler 300 models which Dr. Oteng Agyei took to himself two of the vehicles.

We are challenging the NDC government and its communicators to put a defense to this fact else they should stop their indiscreet lies and propagandas. As a matter of fact, the only electrification project initiated by this NDC government, was a yet to be commenced Credit Facility Agreement between Ghana and Industrial Commercial Bank of China for 556 communities in the Eastern, Volta and Northern Regions. This loan agreement was presented to Parliament by the Finance Committee on just last year Tuesday 22^nd December 2015.

If President Mahama and his NDC government cannot account for the copious and unbridled borrowings and taxes that has increase Ghana’s debt from Ghc 9.5billion to Ghc 99.9 billion, then they should get ready for Nsawam Prisons.