NDC ON PDS Tags Akufo Addo and Four Others, ‘enemies of the state’

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has charged the Akufo-Addo government to prosecute particular officials for allegedly wilfully causing financial loss to the state in the PDS (Power Distribution Services) deal.

NDC General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia at a press conference on Monday, November 21, did not mince words by mentioning the names of the officials that the NDC felt should face prosecution for the PDS fiasco.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia said the blame should start from President Akufo Addo himself and his Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Later, the NDC wants the Finance minister Ken Ofori-Atta, ECG Board Chairman, Keli Gadzekpo and MiDA Board Chairman, Martin Eson-Benjamin to be probed and prosecuted for causing the mess in the PDS deal.

“Don’t trust these people. There is too much corruption in their DNA”, the NDC General Secretary said.

“They have failed the nation and proven to be undeserving of the critical mandate which has been entrusted into their care by Ghanaians.”

“They have proven to be lackeys in the service of a greedy cabal of family and friends hell-bent on appropriating a critical national asset like ECG,” the NDC said while cautioning the government against using restrictive tendering in choosing the next company as the new concessionaire to manage ECG.

The government on Sunday, November 19 announced that it was terminating the deal after a string of fraudulent influence peddling, favouritism and cronyism marred the US$ 1 billion deal.

The United States Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) as part of its compact with Ghana pledged US$ 500 million for private management of ECG. The contract required a foreign company and local partner who would collectively match the US funds with an additional US$ 490 million. However, the local partners provided by Ghana comprised individuals that were suspiciously linked to the government. To top it off, they failed to provide the requisite payment guarantees, opting for a fraudulent one from Qatar, even after the MiDA questionably bent the rules for them.