…Accused of flouting procurement laws in Boankra project mess
In a startling revelation, intercepted Cabinet Memos from the recent government retreat shed light on the Akufo-Addo administration’s controversial response to the Boankra Integrated and Logistics Terminal Project crisis.
Other documents, have shown that, despite objections from the concessionaire, Ashanti Port Services Limited (APSL), payments totaling US$33.3 million, were made to Justmoh Construction Limited, raising serious questions about accountability and transparency.
Boankra Integrated and Logistics Terminal Project, has recently captured the attention of the North Tongue Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa, who has stated that Justmoh Construction Limited, was handpicked by the Transport Minister, Kwasi Ofori Asiamah, without adherence to proper procurement procedures.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP in his latest piece “the Boankra looting disaster and the looming US$3.6billion judgement debt” argued that despite facing severe financial losses and the looming threat of a US$3.6 billion judgement debt, the government has opted for a risky borrowing strategy instead of pursuing urgent remedial actions.
According to the leaked documents dated March 18, 2024, the Akufo-Addo Cabinet, instructed the Ghana Shippers’ Authority, to secure a loan to salvage the faltering project.
Additionally, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) has been directed to also allocate 80percent of its 2024 dividend from Meridian Port Services (MPS) to support Boankra’s revival efforts.
Of particular concern, is the revelation that the borrowed funds and majority of the MPS dividend, will be channeled to Justmoh Construction Limited, the Transport Minister’s favoured company.
Despite objections from the concessionaire, Ashanti Port Services Limited (APSL), payments totaling US$33.3 million, were made to Justmoh Construction Limited, raising serious questions about accountability and transparency.
The opposition NDC, has vehemently opposed this loan arrangement, citing potential constitutional violations and indicating that, future administrations may not honor the terms of such agreements.
They warn lenders against participating in what they deem a dubious deal, highlighting the ongoing litigation and concerns over ministerial overreach.
Furthermore, public officials implicated in facilitating these transactions are cautioned about potential repercussions when accountability is demanded.
The NDC caucus, emphasizes that judgement day for those complicit in exacerbating the Boankra situation is imminent.
As the nation grapples with economic challenges and mounting debt, the controversial handling of the Boankra crisis raises alarms about governance and fiscal responsibility under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.
In a sequel, the matter he first highlighted on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, under the same heading “the Boankra looting disaster and the looming US$3.6billion judgement debt” said that “those who thought the current economic crisis and debilitating debt overhang have tamed the appetite of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to depart from reckless borrowing, must begin to revise their notes.
“Intercepted Cabinet Memos from government’s latest Cabinet Retreat held on Friday March 15, 2024, indicate that instead of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government embarking on urgent remedial steps to clean up the Boankra mess which has led to grave financial loss and a looming US$3.6billion judgement debt, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Cabinet, has rather decided to prod the Ghana Shippers’ Authority to go for a loan in an ill-conceived attempt to salvage the ailing Boankra Integrated and Logisitics Terminal Project.
The Cabinet Memo dated March 18, 2024, and signed by Secretary to the Cabinet, Mercy Debrah-Karikari, further instructs the Ministry of Finance to assist the Ghana Shippers’ Authority to access the loan.
A second intercepted Cabinet Memo from the same Cabinet Retreat directs the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) to dedicate 80percent of its 2024 dividend from Meridian Port Services (MPS) to resuscitate the Boankra albatross.
May we agree to reserve for another day the Mahama MPS intervention which was heavily attacked by the then Akufo-Addo/Bawumia opposition and branded as a symbol of corruption only for it to now become the saving grace just like Ameri, ESLA, GIIF and many other Mahama visionary legacies.
The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government is the only government in the world that goes to Parliament for an approval to implement a Build, Operate and Transfer agreement and yet without an amendment to the original parliamentary resolution, ends up funding the project with government resources and in the process seeking to worsen our already precarious unsustainable debt situation.
This government seems to have no limits to its lawlessness and impunity.
What is equally troubling is that, the reckless loan being pursued and the 80percent MPS dividend, will all be handed over to the Transport Minister’s handpicked company — Justmoh Construction Limited.
Recall that Justmoh is not a party to the parliamentary resolution, neither were Ghana’s procurement laws respected in their bizarre engagement.
It is most striking to note that, despite vehement protests from the concessionaire, Ashanti Port Services Limited (APSL) warning against direct payments to the Transport Minister’s handpicked Justmoh, the Transport Minister and GPHA, crudely ignored the protests and paid all funds, including GPHA’s US$33,300,000.00 to Justmoh Construction Limited.
Only the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government can explain how, a GPHA 49,140,000, ordinary shares acquired in APSL valued at US$33,300,000.00 for which a share certificate was issued by APSL, will rather be paid into the bank account of an entirely different entity, Justmoh Construction Limited. The wonders never end under this create, loot and share regime!
Notice is hereby strongly served that the NDC caucus in Parliament, will not support this new detrimental loan arrangement which has been authorized by Cabinet, rather cleverly by using Ghana Shippers’ Authority as a convenient front.
Lenders who are being approached should also be cautioned that we cannot guarantee that the incoming NDC administration, will respect the terms of such a dubious loan agreement, particularly as parties are embroiled in full-blown litigation, and in the face of a litany of palpable constitutional violations.
It is worth adding that public officials at the GPHA and GSA, who appear to be pliantly following unlawful ministerial orders, and conspiring to deepen the Boankra rot, will have themselves to blame when the day of reckoning comes. Judgement day will not be long from now. For God and Country. Ghana First.
In the first piece he posed the question “Why is the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, engaged in another round of sleazy recklessness which would potentially saddle Ghana with a scary judgement debt of some US$3.6billion?
On November 5, 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, cut sod for construction of the $330 million Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal (BILT) in the Ashanti Region.
The President at the sod cutting assured the nation, including His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who was the special guest of honour that the Boankra project will be completed in 2023.
The President’s sod cutting came after Parliament on the 14th of August, 2020, approved by resolution a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) Concessionary Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Ashanti Port Services Limited (a consortium of Afum Quality Ltd Ghana and DSS Associates of South Korea) for an amount of US$330,000,000.00 for the development of the Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal. (See parliamentary resolution attached).
Documents I have intercepted from multiple official sources, reveal that this parliamentary resolution has been flagrantly and violently flouted, particularly, by the Minister responsible for Transport, Hon. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah.
The Transport Minister after unanimously altering the parties to the parliamentary resolution without recourse to Parliament, has subsequently proceeded to terminate the concession agreement, also without the consent nor approval of Parliament. This termination supposedly took effect from 5th August, 2023. (See confirmation of Minister’s termination attached)
The Minister for Transport’s preference for a company known as Justmoh Construction Limited which is unknown to Parliament under the approved BILT resolution is most bizarre.
All parties have informed me, without contradiction, that Justmoh Construction Limited was a direct imposition by the Transport Minister. I have seen board minutes to this effect.
The stark irony is that this is the same government currently prosecuting the Hon. Collins Dauda, Hon. Dr. Kweku Agyeman-Mensah and others for allegedly reviewing a parliamentary resolution on the Saglemi Housing Project without an amendment or approval by Parliament.
Why is the Transport Minister, regardless of ongoing prosecutions of political opponents, unilaterally amending and disregarding a parliamentary resolution with utter impunity?
Tomorrow is indeed pregnant.
The intercepted documents in my possession also confirm that the Transport Minister has in addition to all his rambo-style illegalities ensured that payment of a colossal US$33,300,000.00 equivalent to a staggering GHS449.5million has been made under extremely dubious circumstances to the Minister’s handpicked company — Justmoh Construction Limited. (More details on this in Part 2)
Further investigations reveal that Justmoh was selected and paid over GHS400million without regard to the procurement laws of Ghana.
Indeed, the Transport Minister concedes in his termination confirmation letter of November 21, 2023 that he will now ensure “Ghana Shippers takes the necessary processes to regularize the re-engagement” of Justmoh.
As could be predicted, these grave violations have now become the subject of fierce internal wrangling with the parties (Ashanti Port Services Limited and the Minister’s Justmoh Construction Limited) currently slugging it out at Arbitration.
Further checks establish that the Transport Minister has been unable to justify his actions as a request from the Attorney General to him to respond to a petition against the Transport Minister’s conduct dated December 19, 2023 remains contemptuously ignored. (See Attorney General’s letter attached).
Meanwhile, it has also emerged through additional documentation I am reviewing that the preparatory works carried out by the Transport Minister’s handpicked company, Justmoh, do not guarantee value for money. Consistent with the pattern of inflationary opaque costing under this administration, US$36,222,140.64 is the bill for payment with even more payments being requested. (This latest “create, loot and share” scheme will be explored in much detail later). Work on the strategic Boankra Integrated Logistics Terminal (BILT) project has now come to a halt because of the self-inflicted mess created by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government. (See letter from Justmoh’s lawyers confirming challenges with continuing the project, as attached).
Field inspection confirms that all works on the Boankra site have come to a stop. Instead of Ghana and the good people of the Ashanti Region finally accomplishing the long-awaited dream of Boankra to spur industrialization and job creation, we are ending up with an abandoned project, avoidable litigation and a looming judgement debt of US$3.6billion as Ashanti Port Services Limited is demanding. A totally avoidable massive financial loss to the state.
NPP insiders familiar with this latest scandal say the Boankra Looting Disaster just like the infamous Akufo-Addo’s Cathedral Project missed out and were not trackable by government’s recently launched performance tracker because of the embarrassing levels of shadiness, arm-twisting and greed; and this is despite the President’s promise before the venerable Otumfuo of a 2023 completion.
What at all can this government get right?
