MP for Ashaiman files Question for Transport Minister to brief Parliament on Airport X-mas Tree saga
The Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Hon Ernest Henry Norgbey has filed a question in Parliament demanding the Minister for Transport to appear and clarify the issues surrounding the procurement of the Christmas Trees by the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) in 2021.
According to the MP, the revelation from the Transport Ministry that there was no procurement for the X-mas tree, contradicts what the Board Chairman for the Airport Company Paul Adom Otchere told Ghanaians.
The Ministry of Transport in a letter speculating in the media stated that “there was no procurement or bidding process for the award of contract” in the controversial Christmas tree and decorations by the GACL.
This revelation by the ministry contradicts the claim by the board chairman of the GACL, Paul Adom-Otchere, that “two separate suppliers were invited to submit bids. The bids were discussed and discounts obtained.”
The Ministry also said the 2021 “Christmas decorations in question were rented” and not bought as was previously claimed by the GACL board chairman.
The Ministry of Transport’s revelations is contained in a response to a right to information (RTI) request filed to GACL by Redeemer Buatsi in January 2021 and sighted by The Fourth Estate.
While Paul Adom-Otchere in his January 7 release stated that “Two separate suppliers were invited to submit bids and that the “bids were discussed and discounts obtained”, the Transport Ministry said in its letter that “there was no procurement or bidding process for the award of contract”.
Also, whilst Paul Adom-Otchere stated that GACL “bought” and paid for the Christmas trees and inspirations, the Ministry said the decorations were “rented” and not bought.
The Ministry also said the entire cost of renting the decorations was borne by a sponsor whereas Paul Adom-Otchere said the supposed sponsor paid only GHS 50,000 out of GHS 128,366 (39%) of the cost of purchasing the decorations
Nevertheless, the MP for Ashaiman believed the Minister, Hon Kwesi Ofori Asimah must be brought to parliament to give a true and proper account as to what transpired in the GACL, which the Ministry supervises.
Hon Norgbey said he filed the question because of what to him were inconsistencies in the response given by Paul Adom-Otchere when the airport Christmas tree saga popped up early this year.
He spoke to EXPRESSNEWSGHANA, in parliament, saying that, when news emerged that the GACL had bought Christmas trees and decorations at over GHS 128,000, the board chairman of the company responded to the allegations in hours.
The MP alleged that the GACL had breached the Public Procurement Act in the application of the request for quotation method.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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