<<Print>>

Nana Ofori Owusu, PPP National Chairman Aspirant, has fired back at Deputy Communications Minister George Andah over the contract between the Ministry of Communications and Kelni GVG.

President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe is on record to have called for the abrogation of the $89.4million contract between the State through the Ministry of Communications and Kelni GVG.

According to him, Subah Info Solution and Afriwave are already performing similar roles for the Ministry and so stated emphatically that the Kelni GVG contract amounts to duplication of functions; hence needless of the Government of Ghana to pursue such contract.

But the Deputy Communications Minister George Andah reacting to IMANI's concerns on Joy FM's 'Newsfile' on Saturday refuted the claims saying "either IMANI is misinformed or they have been motivated to do whatever they are doing . . . I would have expected that if they had any concerns, they should have engaged the ministry. People could be misinformed . . . IMANI is not God. There hasn’t been any request to meet with the ministry. They are misinformed; IMANI is misinformed".

Following the Deputy Minister's rebuttal, Franklin Cudjoe is said to have reported threats to the Police over his disagreement with the deal.

A group calling itself the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF) also jabbed the IMANI President wondering "why any patriotic Ghanaian, or for that matter good cooperate citizen will be against an auditing system that seeks to bring transparency and enable government collect taxes due it".

Also addressing the claims by IMANI, the Progressive Nationalist Forum described Franklin Cudjoe's assertions as "pedestrian" and believed the policy think tank is in connivance with the telecom companies to collapse government's efforts to streamline the sector.

In Mr. Cudjoe's defence, Nana Ofori Owusu says "threats on Franklin Cudjoe’s life must cease".

Addressing the issues on Peace FM's Kokrokoo, Nana Ofori Owusu described Hon. George Andah as a "bad communicator", insisting the claims made by Franklin Cudjoe should not be ignored.

He stated there's something wrong with the contract and therefore sought to find out why Hon. George Andah would speak ill of the IMANI President.

Alluding to Mr. Andah's days when he was a member of Occupy Ghana, he (George Andah) together with Franklin Cudjoe were one of the strong opponents against the shady deals in the communication sector.

He therefore wondered why George Andah has suddenly turned on Franklin Cudjoe all because he's the Deputy Minister and is in power.

Nana Ofori further asked the Communications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, what Ghana stands to gain from the contract with Kelni GVG.

“How much will return to Ghana for paying for this money? How much will we save as Ghana for paying this money?”

To him, the Minister should on top of her game and stop deferring her duties to the Deputy Ministers, one of which is George Andah, who he stated emphatically that is a "marketer" but not a "good communicator”.

“You must be on top of your game. You cannot defer everything to your Deputy Ministers. You’re the Minister, the buck will stop with you”, he said.