Former President John Dramani Mahama has called on government to pay Ghana First Toilet Contractors.
Mr. Mahama said this after five hundred and thirty-Eight (538) aggrieved contractors of Ghana First Company submitted a petition to him over government’s failure to facilitate their payments.
The contractors presented the petition to Mr. Mahama when he made a whistle-stop at Nkyenoa in Okere Constituency of the Eastern Region as part of his four-day campaign tour. The petition was received by the National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
Ghana First Company Limited (GhFCL ), a waste management firm owned by Mr. Frank Akulley, a staunch member of the ruling New Patriotic Party with its German partners signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with government of Ghana in 2018 through the Local Government Ministry and the Sanitation Ministry to construct 20,000 units of modern automated toilet facilities at all Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts across the country at cost of $300,000,000.
Subsequently, the company awarded the first batch of 2000 toilet facilities on contract across the country but the contractors have since not been paid resulting in the collapse of their companies while their bankers have seized their properties to offset the loans. Some of the contractors have reportedly died as a result of the hardship.
According to Ghana First Contractors, they’re taken aback to find out the projects which government abandoned has been captured in the list of government infrastructural achievement.
The Eastern Region and other regions alike have been deprived of toilet facilities after their old-fashioned toilets were demolished to pave way for the construction of decent and new modern toilet facilities which were supposed to be completed within three months.
The affected communities are now engaged in open defecation with a high risk of outbreak of cholera.
John Mahama accused the Akufo Addo-led government of deliberately collapsing and stifling businesses in the country since assuming office. He said the situation has led to job losses and hardship.
Meanwhile, the local chiefs in Okere commended the NDC for always bringing development to the area however appealed for many more projects.
Ahotoronline.com
