NPP statement: We want our money back from Waterville

The New Patriotic Party will like to add its voice to the growing calls by Ghanaians, for President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC administration to retrieve the “gargantuan” sums of money paid by the NDC government to individuals and institutions under the guise of judgement debts.

Of interest to the NPP, and well-meaning Ghanaians, at this point in time, is the 35 million Euros paid to construction company, Waterville, via an opaque arbitration process, arranged by officials of the NDC, for no work done.

It has been over two years since the NDC administration, headed by the late President, John Evans Atta-Mills, paid some 35 million Euros to construction firm Waterville, via an arbitration process.

Despite the fact that current President, John Dramani Mahama, was an integral part of the Mills administration, and was, in his own words, in-charge of “everything”, Ghanaians were hopeful when the President, in his policy statement, said “I am absolutely committed to addressing the aberrations in our national systems of payments”

The President promised Ghanaians that with the help of the Attorney-General, he was going to “ensure that all monies paid to persons and institutions who do not deserve them are retrieved through all legal means at the disposal of the State.”

The NPP is therefore asking the President to retrieve the taxpayer’s money paid to Waterville immediately. What is worrisome is the fact that this case is and has not been under investigation for the last two years. Government officials are well aware that this payment was a dubious one and yet, no attempt has been made to retrieve the monies paid.

Ghanaians will recall that in a March 16, 2010 letter to government, Business Industry Consultants (BIC) advised the Mills-Mahama administration that the certified amount owed Waterville, which was about €21 million, had been fully paid by the Kufuor administration, through Consar and Michelleti, and the evidence of payment could be verified at the Ministry of Finance, or the Bank of Ghana.

Waterville, upon the NDC administration taking over in 2009, made claims for the payment of the same amount they had already been paid under the NPP, and through an arbitration process obtained €35 million.

If Ghanaians are to take President Mahama’s serious on his stance against corruption, he must, without any hesitation, retrieve this amount from Waterville, before his caretaker Presidency ends on January 7 2013.

……Signed……
Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie
NPP General Secretary

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