After a spirited denial of the cost of an ongoing vice presidential villa by the National Democratic Congress, the Director of New Patriotic Party has produced documentary evidence that suggests that the villa indeed costs $14 million.
Nana Akomea who appeared on Joy FM’s Newsfile program Saturday with what appears to be the original copy of the Architectural and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) covering the villa stated unequivocally that the NDC cannot be trusted.
He was responding to the new controversy over an ongoing project which will house the vice president.
The Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia triggered the controversy when he revealed that the former government had begun the project at the cost of $13.9 million.
He did not understand why any government will sink such an amount into such project at a time when the country is reeling under dire economic challenges. “Are the gates made of gold?” he suggested and hinted that the project was awarded on a sole contract basis.
He said if the contract had been awarded on competitive basis, perhaps the cost of the project would have been far lower.
But the NDC vehemently rejected the Bawumia claim and accused him of petty politicking.
Former presidential staff Clement Apaak suggested that the total cost of the project was $5.9 million, far lower than what had been put out by Dr Bawumia.
On Saturday however, the Director of Communications of the NPP Nana Akomea said the NDC as a corporate entity will face an embarrassing fall if it went into a contest of integrity and credibility with Dr Bawumia.
Nana Akomea stated that the suggestion that Dr Bawumia lied when he mentioned the $13.9 million, can only be a distortion.
He produced a document by the AESL, that covered the project being undertaken. The AESL is an agency of state that provides Consultancy Services on all projects being executed.
The document dated January 2016 is titled “Consultancy services for the administration and supervision of construction works for the official residence for the vice president of the republic of Ghana.”
Per the document the total cost of the project is $13,968,252.66 which will cover the cost of stone facing works, hard wood panel doors, external electrification works, sculpture and emblems.
The document indicates that a total amount of $8,179,138.95 has been spent already with an outstanding amount of $5,789,113.71 left to be paid for the completion of the project.
The document also has pictures of some parts of the building still under construction.
Nana Akomea stated that document incontrovertibly substantiates the initial claim made by Bawumia, a claim the NDC denied and poured venom on the vice president.
Asked what the new government intends to do with the building, Nana Akomea said the government will consider all options and the evaluate the progress of work done so far and take a decision.
But the NDC member on the panel and MP for Bolga Central Isaac Adongo challenged the authenticity of the document provided by Nana Akomea. He said the document did not contain some basic elements desirable for a project like that.
Asked if he had any contrary evidence, to challenge the 13.9 million claim, the MP said he did not have any but that does not take away his right to contest the authenticity of the document.
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