The Ghana First Company Limited, a sanitation management company, has petitioned the Appointments Committee of Parliament not to approve the Minister of State-designate for the Local Government and Rural Development Ministry.
According to the Company, the minister-designate was being economical with the truth in relation to his responses to questions asked by Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, Member of Parlaiment for Tamale North, over the Ghana First Co. Ltd projects.
It stated that in all his responses to the questions posed by Mr Suhuyini in relation to Ghana First Co. Ltd projects, Mr Amoah deliberately concealed the actual truth about the entire projects and the Agreements covering them.
Expressing its disappointment and dissatisfaction about the responses which Mr Amoah gave on the Ghana First Co. Ltd and the Clean Ghana Project in his vetting, the company described them as factually incorrect and inaccurate.
“We strongly believe the minister designate was trying to hide the truth from the good people of Ghana as well as Parliament having regards to the fact that he has all the facts on these projects but twisted the facts to suit his parochial interest for Parliament to approve his nomination.”
Ghana First Company Limited
Elaborating its stance, the company revealed that since the beginning of the project, Mr Amoah has been part of all the processes and has all the relevant documents on the projects. It explained that as a company, it finds the posture and attitude of Mr Amoah towards the company “disheartening and it is about time we bring the whole truth on the matter for the good people Ghana” to know.
“In doing so, we would first and foremost, like to draw your attention to the answer given by Hon. O.B Amoah to a question asked by Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu in relation to the land provided by the Assemblies. The answer given by Hon. O.B Amoah was factually incorrect and completely deceptive and we would make reference to the Agreement on the projects which [he] deliberately refused to mention during his vetting.”
Ghana First Company Limited
Accusations levelled against OB Amoah
The Ghana First Company indicated that Mr Amoah and the Assemblies disregarded some clauses of an agreement intended for the projects for reasons best known to them, thereby leading to the stalling of the projects. With this, it stated that the minister designate should have been candid enough to tell the Vetting Committee that it is the fault of the Assemblies which led to the difficulties in the implementation of the projects rather than laying blame on the footsteps of Ghana First Company Limited.
In light of this, it explained that before the appointing authority will nominate someone to be appointed as a minister, the appointing authority, being the President, expects such person to be truthful and faithful to his/her work and the people he/she is going to serve.
“Having regards to the fact that Mr Amoah had all these facts at his disposal at his vetting but refused to disclose them, the company noted that his conduct must be of concern to the Vetting Committee of Parliament. We, as a company therefore, cannot trust the truthfulness and faithfulness of Hon. O.B Amoah because of how he has handled the issues of Ghana First Co. Ltd during his vetting.”
Ghana First Company Limited
Furthermore, the company reckoned that if Mr Amoah gets the approval of Parliament to become Minister of State for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, it will not augur well for the smooth running of the Ministry of Local Government.
This, it emphasized, has become necessary for the company to undertake because every Ghanaian has interest in the project and are waiting for it to start functioning because of its importance and usefulness to the country.
“… Sadly, the very person who has the responsibility to make this happen and to tell the whole world the truth about this project has deliberately been hiding the truth about the projects… It is obviously clear that, Hon O.B Amoah has been economical with the truth of the whole Agreement and we humbly appeal to this Honorable Committee not to approve the appointment of Hon O.B Amoah until he has made the full disclosure of the truth of the Agreement and apologize to the good people of Ghana and Parliament.”
Ghana First Company Limited
The company noted that the contractors of the projects are also suffering because of the attitude of Mr Amoah, as his actions have given the Assemblies the power not to submit the land titles of the lands that the assemblies have given to Ghana First.
Because of the assemblies not fulfilling their part of the agreement, on 2nd October, 2020, Ghana First stated that it wrote a letter to the Attorney General to advise the MMDAs to fulfil their mandate of which the Local Government and Rural Development ministry and Sanitation ministry was copied.
Subsequently, the company highlighted the legal ramifications of the action taking by Mr Amoah and the Akuapem South Municipal Assembly to dispossess the project owner, Ghana First Company Limited, from its ownership. It noted that the minister designate is “painfully aware” that his action is completely illegal and contrary to the Agreement which he has been part of since its inception.
“This could be a recipe for a possible case of judgement debt against the state, if remedies are to be sought.”
Ghana First Company Limited
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