The Policy Adviser of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Emmanuel Agyarko has described the 38 million euro loan agreement secured by the government for the University of Environment and Sustainable Development in Somanya and Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region as “day light robbery.” Parliament on Friday passed the loan agreement between government and Deutsche bank.
But the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wogon, in a Facebook post expressed his misgivings about the deal, saying “I am scandalised by the daylight robbery this government seeks to perpetrate on the Republic in their attempt to put up infrastructure for the university.”
“The cost of providing 3 residential accommodation for the principal officers of the university according to the attachments cost about 1.7 million euros each.
That works out about 2 million dollars or 8 million Ghana cedis so for the 3 buildings this is 6 million dollars or 24 million Ghana cedis. “I put up this here hoping that someone including the Minister and her deputy with responsibility for tertiary education would come and say I’m wrong. Otherwise this is ore than incompetence.
This is armed robbery. Like I said I hope that I am wrong.”
Minority leader kick against loan
Before the agreement was passed on Friday, the Minority raised concerns about value for money for some of the components of the agreement.
Though Mensah Bonsu noted that the university was necessary he said there was the need to have value for money projects. “I have said that we should be very conscious about what we are doing in these last days…We agree that there is the need to establish the university of Environment and Sustainable development in the Eastern Region, but what would be going into that is dangerous for the economic health of the nation.
And I believe that at the appropriate time the critical issues would be raised and if we have to resist it to ensure that the proper thing is done so that we will have value for money,” he added.
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