According to the Ministry, the assertion by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Kwame Agbodza that it did not seek parliamentary approval for the project is not true.
Kwame Agbodza called for the immediate abrogation of the contract awarded to Mota-Engil Engenharia E Construcao Africa S.A. because, according to him, it has not received parliamentary approval.
Mr Agbodza alleged that Mota-Engil is not qualified to undertake the project on Design and Build basis.
He asserted that Ghanaians are capable of executing the project, hence the contract must be immediately cancelled and repackaged for local contractors.
But the Ministry in a response said the assertions and conclusions made by the Adaklu MP are “inaccurate and misleading.”
“The Ministry for Roads and Highways signed a commercial contract with Mota-Engil in December 2020. This Commercial Contract as a standalone cannot be sent to Parliament without the complement of a Financial Agreement. As of now, the Financing arrangements are yet to be concluded. It is, therefore, premature for anybody to claim or suggest that we have breached the law, when the documents to be submitted to Parliament have not been finalised.”
“The signing of a Commercial Contract for internationally funded projects with conditions precedent before its submission to Parliament is not unusual,” it added.
Giving similar examples, the statement noted that “On the La Beach Road Completion Project, the commercial contract was signed in September 2012 with similar conditions precedent. The Cabinet and Parliamentary approvals were secured in November and December 2018 respectively and the contract became effective in 2019.”
“Again, on the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Systems Project, the commercial contract was also signed in September 2012 with similar conditions precedent. The Cabinet and Parliamentary Approvals were secured in November and December 2018 respectively and the contract became effective in 2019.”