NPP raises red flags on Mahama’s cocoa roads comments

Kwame Baffoe, the Bono Regional Chairman of the NPP, says the ‘Speak-Out’ tour being embarked upon by former President John Mahama is a calculated attempt to cover-up the recent Airbus scandal in which the NDC’s flagbearer is suspected as the "Government Official One" as contained in the UK Court ruling.

Mr Kwame Baffoe, who is popularly called ‘Abronye DC’ told the media in Sunyani on Monday that much as engagements with the electorate improve the country’s democracy, such opportunities must not be used to spread falsehood, propaganda, “and fabricated claims which bear no resemblance to well-documented facts” but rather speak to facts.

“Instead of admitting to his failure to fulfil the promises he made to cocoa farmers and cocoa farming communities during his presidency; the mismanagement and misapplication of funds which he oversaw and his government’s lack of innovative capacity to resolve the issues of the cocoa sector, the former president is rather engaging in a “Trumpian” style spreading of misinformation.”

Background

Former President Mahama, who is on what he calls ‘Speak-Out’ tour of some cocoa-growing communities in the Western-North and the Ahafo regions, is reported to have accused the current government of abandoning all the Cocoa road projects he initiated.

He further claimed that his government introduced the Cocoa roads project but construction works on the various roads started in his era have stalled following his exit from the office.

He said in the Juaboso Constituency that “they (NPP) lied their way to power. We (NDC) don’t promise and fail the people. We are a “promise and do” party.”

“I don’t know if it is (excuse my language) ‘abro ne bayie’, but we gave a lot of contracts for cocoa roads and when they (NPP) came they told all the contractors to stop work. Now they have been bringing machines to clear portions of the roads as if they are ready to construct the roads but they are doing that because we are in an election year,” he added.

Setting the records straight

Addressing the media in Sunyani, Chairman Kwame Baffoe clarified that the Cocoa road initiative was introduced during the NPP government under former President Kufuor and has evolved over the years to date.

“I’ll begin by stating the historical fact that the cocoa roads initiative is a proudly New Patriotic Party (NPP) initiative. It was first introduced by the government of President John Agyekum Kufuor and evolved over the years to what it is presently. It is an initiative we are proud of as a party and one which will continue as long as the NPP is in power.”

Suspension of some road contracts

Mr. Kwame Baffoe further explained that upon assumption in January 2017, it became imperative for the Akufo-Addo led administration “to conduct a clinical audit of the contracts which were awarded under the John Mahama government after several anomalies were found and to allow for the re-scoping and proper alignment of funds to execute the projects.”

Abronye DC said it was improper for any government or head of a state institution to commit to contracts on behalf of Ghanaians without the proper cost assessment and the provisioning of a means to funding to pay for the projects.

“Yet, this is exactly what the Mahama government did. Cocoa road contracts were awarded to the tune of over GH₵ 5.1billion when available funds for payment of the contracts was only GH₵ 1.7billion and no arrangements had been made to source extra funding.”

Present and Future of Cocoa Roads

The Bono Regional NPP Chairman stated that the suspension of cocoa roads projects has long been lifted. “Some 24 contractors have had their contracts terminated for non-performance while others have been given the go-ahead to continue their construction of road projects that were awarded to them by the previous government. These contracts have been assessed and limits duly placed on the expenditures involved.”

It is false that contractors with genuine claims about their contracts issued by the previous government are not being paid. GH₵9,603,917.55 was paid to cocoa road contractors during the 2016/2017 cocoa season. GH₵496,872,500.00 was then paid during the 2017/2018 cocoa season.