The Minority in Parliament is demanding a breakdown of the relocation of the Ameri Plant from Tarkoradi to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
According to the Minority, they noticed the anomaly when the Committee on Mines and Energy met with a number of Agencies in the Mines and Energy sector, as part of Parliament’s supervisory role.
A Member on the Committee of Mines and Energy, Edward Bawa disclosed in a statement that when the Committee pushed further for details on the total cost for the relocation of the Plant, “answers were not forthcoming.”
“One of the questions I put to the Volta River Authority was how much the relocation of the Ameri Plant from Tarkoradi to Kumasi was going to cost the Tax payer and which company was awarded the contract to execute this. You will recall that Government took the decision to relocate the Ameri Plant to Kumasi as part of efforts to stabilize the power in Kumasi and its environs,”.
“To my outmost shock, the committee was told it was going to cost 35 million United States dollars. This is about 270 million Ghana Cedis,” Mr. Bawa disclosed.
He continued: “The company contracted to carry out the relocation of the plant is MYTILINEOUS INTERNATIONAL TRADING COMPANY, the same company that was involved in the novation and amendment of the Ameri contract that almost swindled Ghanaians but for the vigilance of the Minority. You will also recall that this was what cost Minister Boakye Agarko his Job as Energy Minister.”
“As a Minority we demand the breakdown of this cost particularly at a time when the country is having difficulties paying salaries and servicing our debt.
“The Energy sector is under serious challenges and therefore such opaque transactions must be halted in the supreme interest of every Ghanaian,” the MP for Bongo stated.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
