Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President for think tank IMANI Ghana, has suggested to the Akufo-Addo government not to pay for some 43 cars parked in Dubai if indeed the current administration did not make the request for the vehicles.
“If the current administration is insisting they cannot be blamed for this, then they simply should not pay for the cars. In any case the cars are meant for the state, but as we are now told, there was no agreement…the current administration did not make any request…” he said on Tuesday June 6.
The 43 armoured cars, worth $9million, was ordered by former President John Dramani Mahama.
Documents covering the vehicles were signed by former Deputy National Security Coordinator Alhaji Salifu Osman, giving approval for the use of the vehicle by the President, Vice-President, First Lady, and others.
The cars are capable of firing rounds of ammunition and are designed to withstand the effects of a hand grenade.
All four sides of the passenger compartment and the roof of the vehicle are protected using high-quality armour steel and glass defeating a NATO ball ammunition, the supplier Shell Speciality Vehicles described the vehicle.
In a letter addressed to Executive Director of local company Amalgamated Security Services Ltd, O.K Tweneboah-Kodua, National Security granted the company approval to “import and clear” the said vehicles.
The letter dated 30 December, 2016 contained an expectation that the vehicles would arrive within 40 days.
However, Builsa South MP and former presidential staffer Dr Clement Apaak has said that the request for the vehicles was made by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government before it took office, a claim denied by Deputy Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
Mr Cudjoe, who was speaking in an interview with Citi FM on Tuesday, June 6, said the former National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration needs to provide explanations to Ghanaians “why they should not be saddled with the debt”.
Source:Ghana/AccraFM.com
