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The Akufo-Addo government has since the assumption of office to date paid GH¢1,181,099,383.55 for cocoa roads contracts awarded by ex-President John Dramani Mahama’s government.

Mr. Kwame Baffoe (aka Abronye DC), the Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), disclosed at a press conference organised by the Party on Monday at Abesim, near Sunyani.

It was to debunk some allegations made by ex-President Mahama during his recent visit to the Western North and Ahafo Regions as part of his nationwide “Speak out Tour” that the government was doing little in providing accessible road network for cocoa farming communities.

He said “It is false that contractors with genuine claims about their contracts issued by the previous government are not being paid”.

According to Mr. Baffoe GH¢9,603,917.55 was paid to cocoa road contractors during the 2016/2017 cocoa season, GH¢496,872,500.00 in 2017/2018 season, then the 2018/2019 the amount was GH¢550,983,450.00 whilst the figure stands at GH¢123,639,516.00 at present (2019/2020 season).

He stated that it was untrue that “the present government stopped absolutely all cocoa roads projects started by the previous government”, explaining that “the suspension which was imposed was not a blanket suspension on all the contracts” since several roads at different stages of construction were allowed to continue until completion in 2017 and thereafter.

He cited a list of 18 of them in addition to a list of 22 more upon which work had resumed and progressing steadily after the suspension.

Mr. Baffoe however said some 24 contractors had had their contracts terminated for non-performance, while others had been given the go-ahead to continue their works that were awarded to them by the previous government.

He revealed that some of the contracts under the previous government were over-prized but those contracts had been re-assessed and limits duly placed on the expenditures involved, he added.

In addition, the government has awarded 43 new cocoa roads contracts and was scheduled to add more, Mr. Baffoe said, disclosing that for the very first time, the Ghana Cocoa Board used an open competitive bidding process to choose suitable contractors for the award of those contracts.

That open approach to the award of cocoa roads contracts had introduced transparency to the process which hitherto was characterised by “the sort of cloak and dagger which provided perfect opportunity for the contracts to be awarded to NDC Party members,” he alleged.

Mr. Baffoe stated it was improper for any government or head of state institution to commit contracts on behalf of Ghanaians without the proper cost assessment and the provisioning of a means of funding to pay for the projects.

But that was exactly what the Mahama government did, he claimed, and cited that cocoa road contracts were awarded to the tune of over GH¢5.1 billion when available funds for payment of the contracts was only GH¢.7 billion and no arrangements had been made to source extra funding.

Mr. Baffoe therefore urged Ghanaians not to be deceived by the claims of former President Mahama and the NDC communicators that the government stopped absolutely all cocoa roads projects started by the previous government.

He said the Akufo-Addo government was rather doing even more and was working tirelessly to ensure that the citizenry enjoy good road network.