On Jyly 12, 2022, the Communication Directorate of the NPP in Prestea Huni-Valley organized a press conference to deal with what the call “blatant untruth” peddled by current “do-nothing” MP Mr. Wisdom Cudjoe. Below is the full information presented by Mr. Isaac Addo, Communication Officer of NPP in Prestea Huni-Valley.
The attention of the NPP Party in Prestea Huni-Valley(PHV) as well as the office of the Former Member of Parliament(MP) of PHV has been drawn to a recent press conference held by the current MP of PHV regarding a project initiated by the former MP and the utilization of her allocated NHIS Funds during her tenure as MP. It is considered appropriate that information is provided to dispel the blatant untruth peddled by the current MP, Hon Robert Wisdom Cudjoe.
1. Prestea Children's Block Project was Initiated by Hon.Kwesi Blay
The persistent position of the current MP that the project was initiated by Hon.Blay and continued by Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi is a fallacy. Hon Kwesi Blay attempted to undertake an extension to the then existing Children's Ward. The only work executed by him was a dwarf wall. On the contrary Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi commissioned the design and drawings for a one storey Children's Block complex to serve as a Mother and Child Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to provide effective and quality healthcare for mothers and children in a safe and spacious environment. In order to do this the abandoned dwarf wall constructed by Hon. Blay was demolished to make way for the construction of the Ground Floor of the project and then subsequently the upper floor. It is therefore obvious that the vision of Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi was poles apart and very different from what Hon Blayattempted to do and failed. There was no design or plan and no work of any significance done by Hon Blay. It is therefore ridiculous for the current MP to seek to acknowledge Hon Blay as the initiator of the Project. This is false and baseless and pictorials of the work of Hon Blay and the current are available for viewing.
2. The Project was Funded Solely by NHIS Funds
The current MP was at pains to establish that the Children's Block project was funded entirely by the NHIS Funds allocated to Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi during her tenure as MP and that there was no contribution by the Wassa Hemaa Foundation of the former MP. To buttress his point, he provided details of releases by the Health Directorate to the Contractor awarded the contract for the construction of the Children's Block. It is interesting to note that total disbursements to the Contractor from July 2019 to March 2021 amounted to One Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety-one Ghana Cedis, Eightypesewas(Gh¢113,791,80P). The MP therefore wants the public to believe that the entire One Storey Block cost only Gh¢113,791.80p. We will urge members of the public to take a look at the Building and truthfully decide whether this project can be funded with such a paltry amount. This brings to mind a very important latin legal maxim ' Res Ipsa Loquitor' which translates to mean " the Matter Speaks for Itself" In other words it is obvious that the NHIS funds released could not fund the entire project. The question to ask therefore is where did the additional funding come from?For the avoidance of doubt the total cost of the project is over Ghc600,000 of which payments from the NHIS MP's Allocation constitutes just about 20% of the total cost of the project. The rest of the funding for the project came from personal releases by the former MP, money from the Wassa Hemaa Foundation and donations such as electricals from Tropical Cable and Conductor Limited. The current Hon MP thus peddled an untruth by deliberately lying through the teeth when he stated that the Children's Block project was funded solely with the former MP's NHIS allocation. As a former DCE of the Constituency who has been responsible for undertaking projects in the Constituency, can he state emphatically that during his tenure he executed a project of the magnitude of the Children's Block for Ghc113,791,80. We advise him to quit the needless propaganda and focus on serving the good people of PHV as his predecessor Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi did and still continues to do.
3. That Current MP Made Contributions to the Project.
The MP, Hon Robert Wisdom Cudjoe in his presentation sought to claim that he had contributed to the Project by virtue of the fact that he wrote memos for the release of NHIS funds allocated to the former MP Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi. It seems the MP did not heed to the advice which he indicated was given by the NDC leadership in Parliament not to seek to lay claim to any arrears of funds due the former MP. This was sound advice because funds are released for specific projects.In order to obtain the release of NHIS funds, an MP in consultation with the Health Directorate must decide the project the MP seeks to undertake. In submission of the application for 2019 and 2020 NHIS Allocation, the former MP indicated that the funds would be used to pursue the construction of the Children's Block which she had already initiated in August 2018 with personal resources. At the time the cheque for 2019 was received in Q4 2020, and the Contractor submitted request for payment, elections were over and Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi had ceased to be the MP. However, prior to her exit in January 2021, a letter was submitted to the Health Directorate to the effect that all outstanding NHIS allocations were to be utilized to fund the ongoing Children's Block as per the original request to the NHIS. The Health Directorate therefore had the mandate of the former MP regarding the disbursement of the outstanding funds. Even assuming without admitting that the current MP was required to write a memo, l wonder how writing a memo in respect of funds allocated to another MP makes you a contributor. The funds were allocations for 2019 and 2020 when the current MP was not an MP. Under normal circumstances this should not generate any controversy but for the fact that it seems the current MP is desperate to attach himself to projects executed by the former MP to seek glory where none is due. Between 2021 and 2024 the Hon MP will receive what is due him to execute projects he deems fit. As regards the Children's Block, it is NOT and will NEVER be his project.He has contributed nothing to it. The 2020 NHIS allocation which Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi directed to be utilized for the purchase of equipment is only possible because the former MP completed construction of the facility with her own resources. It seems quite laughable that the Hon MP wants to be applauded for simply signing a memo but seeks to discount the contribution of the person who has committed so much funds to the design, construction and equipping of the project. This is the height of hypocrisy demonstrated by the Hon MP. We advice him to try and live up to the title Honorable because this kind of behavior will only expose him to ridicule.
4. Collection of 2020 NHIS Cheques
The Hon. MP further alleged wrongdoing on the part of the former MP for collecting the cheque for 2020 NHIS funds. The practice by almost all MPs is to have letters requesting for various allocation of funds submitted by their Personal Assistants who follow up at the relevant offices until the cheques are ready. The NHIS 2020 cheque was initially collected by the PA of the former MP at a time when she was out of the country. Subsequently the PA also left the jurisdiction for a few months but inadvertently failed to file the cheque. On final receipt of the cheque and submission to the Directorate it was advised by the Bank that the cheque was stale and had to be returned for reissue. A new cheque was issued which was collected and forwarded to the Health Directorate. It must be emphasized that Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi had submitted a request to the NHIS Office for the 2020 allocation and received the cheque. It is therefore false that the current MP made a request for the 2020 funds. Assuming without admitting that he made such a request, it would be superfluous as an application for the funds had previously been submitted and processed. Also, on return of the stale cheque forreissue, no new application letter was required as records for the issue of the original cheque existed and a new cheque was just being issued in replacement. The Hon. MP applied for his 2021 NHIS funds which he has received and should focus on its utilization. The allegation that the former MP had acted illegally by receiving and forwarding a cheque for funds specifically allocated for the year 2020 is preposterous and must be treated with the contempt it deserves. It must also be clarified that 2019 NHIS funds only became available in November 2020 in the crucial period preceding the elections. After the elections, a letter was submitted to the Health Directorate directing the disbursement of all outstanding funds to the Children's Block project.
5. Audit Queries
Finally, the Hon MP sought to claim that he had been served audit queries with respect to utilization of some 2020 Common Fund allocation. This is either palpably false or a mistake on the part of the External Auditors. Information available from the Assembly indicates that the External Auditors requested from the Assembly additional documentation regarding the utilization of 2020 Q4 Common Fund which had been utilized by the former MP for the purchase of laptops for students. The documents were provided and there was absolutely no allegation of wrongdoing. Part of the funds was also disbursed to a Parent /Teacher Association which was undertaking the renovation of the Dining Hall at St. Augustines SHS, Bogoso and had appealed to the former MP for support. We urge the Hon MP if he believes there has been any illegality not to wait until there's a change in Government but to initiate action for an investigation now. The penchant of the Hon MP to engage in useless propaganda in an attempt to whittle down the immense contribution of the former MP in the face of his own abysmal performance is now bordering on absurdity. He should sit up and execute his mandate as an MP.
In conclusion we wish to state that the Press Conference embarked upon by the Hon MP can best be described as a " Storm in a Tea Cup" a " Much a Do about Nothing" and a " Brutum Fulmen" It has become very obvious that the Hon MP is desperate to lay claim to projects executed by the former MP to cover up for his poor performance. This was the strategy of his Party, the NDC as well his good self-prior to and even after the elections by attributing projects initiated or lobbied for by Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi to other persons or organizations. For instance electrical cables valued at Ghc50,000 recently donated to wire the temporary Dumase Resettlement Camp for Appiate victims was alleged to have been provided by Government, payment of $10,000 to Kokrokoo Foundation for the purchase and installation of an Incubator at Prestea Government Hospital was disputed, Himan Town Roads lobbied for under Sinohydro was alleged to be a Ghana Gas Project, the Huni-Valley to Bogoso Road, a Ghana Government project lobbied for was also supposed to be a Gold Fields Ghana project. Despite all this propaganda, Hon. Barbara Oteng-Gyasi has not relented in her efforts to support the good people of Prestea/ Huni-Valley. From January 2021 to date donations made include, Mini Pickup for Best Female Farmer valued at Ghc 45,000.00 donation of items to the PHV Disabled Association at a cost of Ghc20,000.00, Renovation and furnishing of Three Units Classroom Block at Aboso Brigade Camp at Ghc120,000.00, rehabilitation of portions of Aboso - Wassa Nkran Road at Ghc50,000; payment of surgery cost for a hole-in-heart child at Ghc32,000.00 to name just a few. We shall not be surprised if very soon the Hon.MP comes out to claim that either he contributed to funding these activities or it was funded by other persons and not Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi and the Wassa Hemaa Foundation. The Hon MP is fast becoming a Propaganda MP which is very sad. We take this opportunity to urge him to work hard to restore his sinking image and desist from the unnecessary and fruitless focus on the former MP, Hon Barbara Oteng-Gyasi. A word to the Wise!
SIGNED:
ISAAC ADDO
TEL: 0245093118
HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS:
PRESTEA HUNIVALLEY CONSTITUENCY, NPP
Comments
Post a Comment