The National Democratic Congress, (NDC) Members of Ghana’s Parliament have petitioned the US Ambassador to Ghana to conduct an investigation into the Power Distribution Services Ghana Limited (PDS), take over of Electricity Company of Ghana, (ECG), under the Millennium Compact Agreement.
The petition signed by the Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Okudzeto Ablakwa, to the US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan, was personally delivered by the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The Minority in a statement Wednesday sought to trigger investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the US.
The Minority is of the firm conviction that every possible option must remain on the table “in our collective sacred duty to protect a strategic national interest, the Electricity Company of Ghana, from being balkanized by a marauding greedy cabal in questionable arrangements.”
According to them, their demand for an investigation is buoyed by the knowledge that the US authorities “would not adopt a nonchalant attitude and allow millions of US taxpayer dollars under the signed Compact II of the Millennium Challenge Account to be recklessly misapplied and squandered.”
the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MPs say that their action is justified as “a clearer picture is now emerging that the Akufo-Addo government stands complicit with top functionaries and cronies neck-deep in the putrescent sleaze”.
According to the Minority, the Akufo-Addo government “cannot be trusted to conduct thorough and independent investigations into this scandal of monumental proportions.”
They say, like most Ghanaians, “they have grown sceptical about so-called investigations by the Akufo-Addo Administration since a countless number of these investigations only end up clearing appointees. The reports are never published and the real culprits are never identified and punished.”
The Minority is of the firm conviction that every possible option must remain on the table “in our collective sacred duty to protect a strategic national interest, the Electricity Company of Ghana, from being balkanized by a marauding greedy cabal in questionable arrangements.”
According to them, their demand for an investigation is buoyed by the knowledge that the US authorities “would not adopt a nonchalant attitude and allow millions of US taxpayer dollars under the signed Compact II of the Millennium Challenge Account to be recklessly misapplied and squandered.”
Until its suspension, PDS was responsible for managing the retail and distribution business of the electricity company of Ghana since March this year. Government suspended the concession agreement with the company
bringing back the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to be in full control of power distribution.
According to Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the decision was taken after government detected “fundamental and material breaches of PDS’s obligation in the provision of Payment Securities (Demand Guarantees) for the transaction which have been discovered upon further due diligence.”
He said government wants to secure ECG’s assets that were handed to PDS as part of the concession agreement.
As government conducts its investigations there have been interesting revelations about how PDS came to win the contract.
Below is the three pages statement :
MINORITY PETITIONS US AMBASSADOR ON PDS SCANDAL
The Minority in Parliament has this morning petitioned the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Stephanie S. Sullivan demanding formal investigations by the United States Government into the PDS scandal which has rocked the nation.
The petition signed by the Honourable Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu was personally hand delivered at the US Embassy in Accra by the Honourable Ranking Member on Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The Minority seeks to trigger investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States of America especially after a clearer picture is now emerging that the Akufo- Addo Government stands complicit with top functionaries and cronies neck deep in the putrescent sleaze. The Akufo-Addo Government, therefore, cannot be trusted to conduct thorough and independent investigations into this scandal of monumental proportions.
Besides, the Minority like most Ghanaians have grown sceptical about so-called investigations by the Akufo-Addo Administration since a countless number of these investigations only end up clearing appointees. The reports are never published and the real culprits are never identified and punished.
Furthermore, the Minority is of the firm conviction that every possible option must remain on the table in our collective sacred duty to protect a strategic national interest, the Electricity Company of Ghana, from being balkanized by a marauding greedy cabal in questionable arrangements.
We are additionally fortified by the knowledge that United States Authorities would not adopt a nonchalant attitude and allow millions of US taxpayer Dollars under the signed Compact II of the Millennium Challenge Account to be recklessly misapplied and squandered.
Kindly find attached to this release a copy of the petition in issue submitted to the US Ambassador at 11am today.
Signed,
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa (MP)
Ranking Member, Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs.
