Koku Fleeing From �Intellectual Discourse� - IMANI
A policy think-tank, IMANI-Ghana, has rejected allegations made by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Koku Anyidoho, that it was paid to downplay the US$3 billion China Development Bank loan.
IMANI-Ghana in a statement cautioned government not to rely solely on the loan for the country�s infrastructure development as indicated by President Mills in his New Year message.
The president of IMANI-Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, in an interview with Citi News described Mr. Anyidoho�s comments as unfortunate.
�It is easy to say that someone has been paid and I think that is shifting away from the intellectual discourse that we should all be concerned with,� Cudjoe said.
�If my friend, Koku Anyidoho, has taken time to read the report properly, I�m sure he wouldn�t end his money by going on that show. �
He added, �I think it is unfortunate, it is not the best for the country to have a whole presidential aide and all he can react to a detailed report is to say that someone has been paid to write this, it�s to say the least, unfortunate. �
IMANI-Ghana has also been critical about the 10 billion dollar STX housing deal out of which 1. 5 billion was to have been used to build 30,000 housing units for Ghana�s security agencies.
Cudjoe told Citi News the near collapse of the STX deal only reaffirms IMANI�s concerns about the credibility of the deal.
Meanwhile, a Deputy Information Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said IMANI appears to have shot itself in the foot on issues concerning the US$3 billion CDB loan.
According to him, the first half of the loan will be disbursed this year.