Posted: Daily Guide |Thursday, 10 March 2011
www.dailyguideghana.com
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah, is expected to meet members of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) anytime soon to answer questions on his conflicting role in the execution of the Bui Power Project (BPA).
This follows a request by a pro-governance organization, the Coalition of Democratic Forces (CDF), asking the Commission to investigate the circumstances that led to Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah’s block manufacturing company being awarded a contract to manufacture blocks for the project site, whilst he continues to serve on the company as a Board Member.
As a Board member of the BPA, the group said, “We strongly believe that Mr Aseidu Nketiah used his position to influence the contract being awarded to his company.”
This was what informed the decision of CDF, which is chaired by Michael Omari Wadie, to file a case of conflict of interest against the NDC scribe.
Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah, who is popularly referred to as General Mosquito, has denied any case of conflict of interest. According to him, the sub contractors who bought blocks from his company for the project did so on their own volition, without any compulsion.
He has since instituted a legal action against the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BPA, Fred Oware, for defamation since he made the issue public.
CDF wants the Commission, which is currently headed by Anna Bossman, to establish whether Mr. Asiedu Nketiah’s block manufacturing company followed the laid-down procedures in securing the contract for the supply of cement blocks to the BPA at very exorbitant prices.
It also wants CHRAJ as an institution to investigate whether or not it does not amount to conflict of interest.
Furthermore, they also want the Commission to ascertain whether General Mosquito indeed used the proceeds of his controversial block-making company to build his mansion in Oyarifa, within the short period that he secured the contract.