Sampson Ahi Slams Gov’t for ‘Neglecting’ Veep Residence Project
A former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Sampson Ahi has hit hard at the government for failing to complete the construction of an official bungalow for the Vice President.
He said he is shocked by government’s seeming neglect of the project and has challenged it to complete the project.
Works at the bungalow at Cantonments has stalled but Mr Sampson Ahi wants it completed soon.
“…If there are issues, they should raise the issues and address them for it [residence] to be used as duty post of the current Vice President and the subsequent Vice President of our country. If there are issues with it, they should take the necessary steps to rectify it and then continue with the project. If there has been overpayment they know what to do to get the money back and if the contractor has not been paid, they know what to do.”
The bungalow became a subject of controversy after the Vice President revealed, the project is costing the country almost $15 million dollars. The Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea had revealed that government may launch a full-scale audit into the building of the residence.
Nana Akomea had stated that he could not understand why the government committed to paying such an amount for the project.
“I think and I believe that is what the government will do. Is for to do a value for money auditing because this is a sole-sourced contract and we all know some of the problems associated with sole sourcing.”
He said, “since 1993 we have had a residence for the Vice President of Ghana in which Arkaah, Attah-Mills, Aliu Mahama and John Mahama stayed and it was even fit for him to stay there as President and so the propriety of committing tax payers’ monies to the tune of $14 million to build another residence for the Vice President of Ghana in the light of some of the deprivations of the Ghanaians people are issues that all of us have to interrogate.”
According to Mr Akomea, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government had already paid eight million dollars to the contractor for the execution of the project but the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led by Nana Akufo-Addo believes the contract terms are outrageous.
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