Okudzeto Ablakwa set the country on advance with the latest chapter of his advancing exposé on the ambulances purchased by the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives. While the antecedent revelations by the North Tongu administrator were damning, the latest sets were alike added concerning, with Okudzeto Ablakwa alleging that the adjustment for the acquirement of the ambulances by the accompaniment was handled by eight companies, six of which were formed aural six months afterwards the accession of the Akufo-Addo government.
Once again, Stephen Okoro, a Nigerian agent with able ties to the ancestors of President Nana Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was additionally affiliated with actuality co-director of one of the companies that got awarded the ambulance purchasing contract.
The North Tongu administrator claims that one of the companies, Elok Consult and Services Limited, has its admiral as Stephen Okoro, who allegedly is a son-in-law of President Akufo-Addo, and his brother, Solomon Okereke.
“The companies acclimated by the presidential familial assemblage are: Elok Consult and Services Limited; BEFT Engineering Works Limited; Bluemix Aggregation Limited; Prestige Era Aggregation Limited; RDC Aggregation Limited; Luxury World Auto Group Limited; and Quality Suppliers and Builders Aggregation Limited.
“Instructively, a majority, 6 out of the 8 companies, were formed amid April and September 2017 — the year Akufo-Addo became President of Ghana. All 8 companies accept no clue almanac and ability in the access of ambulances.
“Elok Consult and Services Limited was congenital on 25th July, 2017. The admiral are Stephen Okoro, the man who gave President Akufo-Addo his aboriginal granddaughter, and addition admirer who acclimated the name Solomon Okereke for the aggregation registration. Remember, the politically apparent Stephen Okoro is additionally a business accomplice of Gyankroma Akufo-Addo. They accept congenital abundant companies together, as I appear in Allotment 2,” genitalia of his column read.
Okudzeto Ablakwa additionally questioned the bulk appear by again Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson, advertence that the bulk Ghana splurged is not a accurate absorption of what he considers to be the absolute bulk of the ambulances.
In a abundant and algebraic breakdown of the figures, Okudzeto Ablakwa accustomed at the cessation that the US$54.3 actor paid by Ghana should accept at atomic fetched the country 678 ambulances.
“From folio 2 (paragraph 4) of the Auditor-General’s Performance Audit, government admiral told auditors that the 307 Mercedes Benz ambulances were acquired at a absolute bulk of US$54.3 million. (Performance Audit attached). This bulk of US$54.3 actor is constant with what again Special Development Initiatives Minister, Hawa Koomson, again to the Ghanaian media.
"Meanwhile, folio 24 (paragraph 46) of the above Performance Audit states that a assemblage amount of the ambulance is US$80,000.00. (Performance Audit attached). At US$80,000.00 for one ambulance, the 307 ambulances should accord us a absolute of US$24,560,000.00 and not US$54.3 million.
"This absolutely agency that the accretion of the ambulances was unconscionably aggrandized by a alarming US$29,740,000.00. The clumsily bedlam bulk of US$29.7 actor is added than the absolute amount of all the 307 ambulances.
"Even if you add a 10% allowance exceptional of US$8,000.00 per ambulance, the accretion of the 307 ambulances would still be aggrandized by a massive US$27,284,000.00. Note, however, the Auditor-General apparent that allowance premiums were not paid on the 307 ambulances.
"It makes faculty to achieve that the US$54.3 actor aborigine funds spent by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government should accept provided Ghanaians with 678 ambulances and not 307. This is best criminal!”
Ablakwa out, Forson-Jakpa in
The cardinal timing of Ablakwa’s absolution of his advice ensures he mostly dominates the morning account stories, but aloof aback Ghanaians were done backbreaking the latest allegations, the Cloister of Appeal delivered a cogent cardinal on addition ambulance case.
This case did not absorb Okudzeto Ablakwa but rather his baton in , Dr. , and agent Richard Jakpa, who were continuing balloon for allegedly causing banking accident to the accompaniment for their roles in the acquirement of ambulances by the bygone Mahama government.
The two above bodies had run to the Appeals Cloister to seek amends afterwards their motion for acquiescence of no case was alone by Amends Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe of the Aerial Court.
The Appeals Court, in a 2-1 verdict, accepted the motion by Ato Forson and Richard Jakpa and absolved them of the accuse slapped adjoin them by the state.
The court, in its ruling, acclaimed that the state, which was represented by the Attorney-General, did not adduce abundant affirmation to authorize a prima facie case for the balloon of Ato Forson and Jakpa.
The case was handled by three justices, with Justices Philip Bright Mensah and Kweku Tawiah Ackaah-Boafo actuality on the majority side, while Amends Alex Poku-Acheampong dissented.
The cardinal triggered a flurry of activities in the media, alpha with Richard Jakpa’s actual statement, which included absolute attacks on Godfred Dame and the balloon adjudicator at the aerial court.
What Richard Jakpa said
“I’m activity for my authorization from the Aerial Court, Amends Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe can no best alarm me.”
Ato Forson’s reaction
A simple column on amusing media, extolling the charity of God, is how Ato Forson reacted to the ruling.
“Romans 9:14 What again shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all,” he stated.
Attorney-General’s reaction
The appointment of the Attorney-General issued a two-page statement, advertence that the action was far from over and that it was activity to the Supreme Cloister to challenge the cardinal by the Appeals Court.
“2. The Appointment of the Attorney-General considers the accommodation of the Cloister of Appeal to be abnormal in the adventure for accessible accountability and the aphorism of law. The accommodation acutely is heavily adjoin the weight of the cogent affirmation led by the case in analysis of all the accuse adjoin the accused bodies at the trial,” genitalia of the account said.
Appointment Committee's shenanigans
While the reactions to the Cloister of Appeal cardinal were ongoing, associates of the Appointment Board were at anniversary other’s throats afterwards the associates acceptance to the Boyhood conclave accused the Majority Leader, Afenyo-Markin, of cheating the vetting of two Supreme Cloister nominees into the calendar for the day.
In audio recordings acquired by GhanaWeb’s ary Correspondent, Nimatu Yakubu Atouyese, during the affair of the MPs on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, associates of the Boyhood took turns to accurate their disappointments in the Majority Leader.
Mahama Ayariga, one of the MPs who aboriginal bidding his disappointment at this move, wondered why there was such a blitz by the majority to accept the nominees vetted.
“Leader, we were actuality yesterday, we had a affair at which we discussed this amount and said we do not appetite to abash these judges. It’s a new Appointments Committee. Notice was served to the nominees to appear after us accepting had a affair – no meeting. Notice was served to the accessible to aftermath memos with no meeting.
“Then yesterday, we met and said what is the rush? We accept a lot of time so let’s booty our time and not abash these judges. Let’s do a appropriate job… alone to see in a midnight WhatsApp bulletin exchanges that we are actuality summoned as a board to appear and vet these people…,” he said.
On his part, the Boyhood Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza, declared the move by Afenyo-Markin as an actionable one advised to apply the hard-won integrities of the Supreme Cloister nominees.
“I can affirm that aback I came in actuality this morning, alone GTV was here, so we asked, what about the added aldermanic columnist corps? We didn’t get any able acknowledgment so, the Boyhood Baton directed that let the aldermanic columnist band be here, so that is the fact…
“Just to add, chairman, you accept alleged an actionable meeting; a affair to vet associates of the acme cloister of our acreage – the Supreme Court, alleged at midnight, can alone be an actionable meeting, or ill-motivated meeting. What will be the acumen why a affair in government will like to vet actual admired bodies in this country area if all of us disagree, they are the ones who will footfall in for us; their vetting will be such a controversy.
“I put on the platform, ‘Don’t absolutely apply the Supreme Cloister Justices by accepting them complex in this bare adjustment because there’s no rush. In fact, there’s no abstraction at the Supreme Cloister which is adverse to the commitment of amends as we speak… and again we are told that the Majority Baton came aback and rubbished all that we accept done including his associates on the committee… so, I accede this affair as an actionable affair to put calm associates of a acknowledged committee. How can this be? Cipher on this aggregation is adjoin any judge. In fact, we absolutely appetite added of them to be vetted in a decorous and admiring way. So, cipher should accusation the judges, the botheration actuality created is created by President Akufo-Addo-Dr-Bawumia-led Majority in parliament,” he additionally said.
This adventure could not accept concluded after advertence the ‘small matter’ Dr Randy Abbey of Good Morning Ghana handing Amidu Chinnia Issahaku, MP for Sissala East Constituency addition ‘not too proud’ moment on alive television.
EK