Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has disclosed that an amount of 2.6 million cedis has been diverted to JNS Talent Centre Limited intended for the building of the national cathedral.
He revealed that the “contemptible diversions and dubious distributions” away from the core mandate of constructing government’s cathedral took place on a much bigger scale than previously imagined.
Providing the latest installment of shocking discoveries, Mr Ablakwa indicated that it is not only the “dodgy” American, Cary Summers and his Nehemiah Group who were gifted GHS 28.2 million of the country’s depleted taxes for “coordination activities”. He subsequently stated that per incorporation details in his possession, JNS Talent Centre Limited has a given registration number of CS695622015, with its directors being Johannes Eshun, Sheila Eshun and Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“We have discovered a shocking diversion of an impressive GHS2.6million of tax funds to a company known as JNS Talent Centre Limited.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Mr Ablakwa noted that newly secured documentation reveals that at a time, the cathedral contractors (RIBADE Ltd) were complaining that they were being starved of funds leading to RIBADE’s eventual suspension of work in March 2022. The suspension, he explained, continues and is now 10 months old, and this is despite government’s “massive unconstitutional withdrawals in excess of GHS 339 million”.
“… It has emerged that our tax funds were being unethically distributed on a massive scale like confetti.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
The North Tongu legislator expressed that he is not done exposing the “countless explosive cathedral scandals” and neither is he about to be intimidated by those issuing “laughable and ungodly threats”. With this, he highlighted that the registered principal activity of JNS Talent Centre Limited is listed as “Talent and Skills Development Training”, despite the Centre citing a capital of a measly GHS 500.00.
Mr Ablakwa revealed that it is not clear who or how many people at the “Cathedral Secretariat JNS developed their talent to be made for life”. He further underscored that the 020 phone number advertised for the crèche is the same contact provided in their incorporation instruments and in the cathedral documents being reviewed.
This, Mr Ablakwa indicated, remains a mystery as to what kind of services JNS Talent Centre Limited provided to the National Cathedral Secretariat to pocket a cool GHS 2.6 million. He however questioned whether it could have been that they were sharpening the talent of Architect David Adjaye.
JNS Talent Centre Limited investigated
Mr Ablakwa expressed surprise that a director at the Centre would claim to have little knowledge about its biggest ever deal. He explained that it appears the JNS Talent Centre Limited does not include sincerity and transparency in its talent development curriculum.
“When I called up Madam Sheilla Eshun, a director of TNS to assist with my constitutional oversight duties, the seemingly startled lady said she had scanty information on the GHS 2.6 million cathedral transaction and that she will prefer I speak to her MD who is currently out of the country and therefore will ask her MD to get back to me in 2 weeks when he returns to Ghana.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Subsequently, Mr Ablakwa remarked that with the “levels of opacity, diversions, collusion, graft, recklessness and a yenkyendi” mindset, the project was bound to suffer its current predicament where contractors have abandoned site for lack of payment. He noted that this is why people familiar with the project “ridicule hollow presidential assurances that the project will be completed next year”.
“And, by the way, what is with this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/Ofori-Atta government and Talent companies? The last time, it was investigative journalist Manesseh Azure Awuni who in his ‘Contracts for Sale’ exposé brought to light the shady conflict of interest activities of ‘Talent Discovery Limited’ owned by disgraced PPA boss, Adjenim Boateng Adjei.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
READ ALSO: Ghana Reaffirms Support In Hosting INBAR’s West Africa Regional Office
