The Leading opposition party’s flag bearer John Dramani Mahama, has accused incumbent President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for not executing projects after cutting sods.
This comes on the back of a town hall meeting held on 15th September, at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi. In his statement, he said “When I was in government, when you see that I have cut sod for a project, it means there is a contractor on site working. In recent times, you will notice that, President (Akufo Addo) and his Vice (Mahamudu Bawumia), cut sod at every given opportunity without the contractor actualizing the project.”
According to the former President, machines are taken to the sites and returned immediately after the sod cutting ceremony is completed for the commencement of construction.
Speaking on the issue, Mr. Mahama entreated Chiefs and sub-chiefs of the Ashanti Region to probe into matters concerning cutting of sods for project before acceding, to avoid deserting the projects.
“Chiefs, I am appealing to you; if they come to your town and inform you that they want to cut sod, please ask two questions; Is the project listed in the 2020 budget? If it’s not in the budget, find out whether it is a promise that has been approved by parliament. If these two questions are not answered to your satisfaction, then the sod cutting is ‘419’, because no money has allocated for that project, and there is no loan taken to execute the project.”
It can be recalled that, on 16th December 2019, Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia cut sod for the construction of a watermelon processing factory and a hundred bed hospital in Walewale, a town in the capital of West Mamprusi district in the North East Region.
Fast track to September 2020, the hospital project which was to be completed in 12 months, has its proposed site for the project, turned into a maize farm with no sign of on-going construction work.
The residents of Walewale and Mamprugu have expressed disappointment in the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Bawumia, accusing him of deception.
“They brought two tipper trucks of sand: one sand and one quarry dust. The Vice President vehemently said and I quote, that this project will be commissioned before this 2020 elections. Up until now, as a concerned citizen of Walewale and Mamprugu, no work has been done to that particular site; nothing! You can go there with your cameras and see. Nothing has been done and as a result of that, the people in Walewale have come out to challenge. If we come out, the people will think we are sabotaging him (Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia).
“Really on the ground, nothing is happening and I can say on authority that, since the assumption of the NPP office, there is no single project that the Vice President has cut sod and have commissioned it, and have been put into use,” he said.
According to joy news report, the Apowa-Mphohor-Adum Banso road in the Western Region of Ghana, has not begun work on the stretch after President Akufo-Addo cut sod for the commencement of the road, two and a half years ago.
