Former Jomoro MP rubbishes NDC's allegations of corruption against him

• The NDC in Jomoro constituency made allegations of corruption against a former NPP MP

• The allegations were that the ex-MP took monies for a contract he did not execute

• The ex-lawmaker in a rejoinder has rubbished the allegations

Former Member of Parliament for Jomoro has rubbished allegations leveled by

Read full articlethe opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, that he had benefited financially from market contracts that he did not execute.

Patrick Ellonu, the NDC's communications officer in the consituency alleged that Peter Essien received payment for projects he did not execute when he was the lawmaker for the Jomoro Constituency.

But the MP in a rejoinder issued by his personal assistant, Thomas Kwasi Ackatia, and copied to GhanaWeb dismissed the allegations whiles presenting relevant details from his part.

A news story which GhanaWeb published under the headline "Former Jomoro MP exposed by CODA, prosecute him - NDC to government," alleged in part that the MP had received contracts from the Coastal Development Authority (CODA) to build two markets in the constituency.

“The attention of the office of the Former MP of Jomoro, Hon. Paul Essien has been drawn to a recent news publication and radio commentary by the Communications Officer of the NDC in Jomoro Constituency, Patrick Ellonu, over the above-mentioned heading."

According to the statement it turned out that the NDC press conference was a 'ghost' one because there was no record in the media showing where it took place or which journalists were invited.

“Truth be told that per our checks on the grounds, no press conference was done at the said town in their press release. Because no Radio/Tv or media house was invited or named to have reported on the press conference, rather, the Communications Officer hides in his pigeon hole to write lies and feed them to the public.

“And it is in this light that we respond accordingly to that frivolous and erroneous statement from the errand boys in the NDC party who are trying to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Hon. Paul Essien,” parts of their statement read.

The Coastal Development Authority (CODA) in a separate statement also dismissed claims by the NDC that it had engaged the former Member of Parliament as a contractor.

In a statement copied to GhanaWeb, CODA refuted with pictorial evidence claims by the NDC that the markets were not constructed.

It also dismissed assertions that Paul Essien received payments for the construction of the markets at Tikobo Number 1 and Elubo despite not undertaking the projects.



Read the full rejoinder of the former MP below:

RE: FORMER JOMORO MP EXPOSED BY CODA, PROSECUTE HIM, NDC TO GOVERNMENT.

The attention of the office of the Former MP of Jomoro, Hon. Paul Essien has been drawn to a recent news publication and radio commentary by the Communications Officer of the NDC in Jomoro Constituency, Patrick Ellonu, over the above-mentioned heading.

Truth be told that per our checks on the grounds, no press conference was done at the said town in their press release. Because no Radio/Tv or media house was invited or named to have reported on the press conference, rather, the Communications Officer hides in his pigeonhole to write lies and feed them to the public.

And it is in this light that we respond accordingly to that frivolous and erroneous statement from the errand boys in the NDC party who are trying to tarnish the hard earned reputation of Hon. Paul Essien.

First and foremost, it should be put on record that, the greatest threat to the NDC party in Jomoro politics is Hon. Paul Essien. He remains their burden and nemesis as far as his track record as MP is concerned.

The genesis of the whole fabricated story by NDC in the constituency is that, during the tenure of the former MP, he lobbied for many projects which span from markets, schools, roads, petroleum hub and many other things for which in their 20years stay in power, the Constituency could not boast of such.

Also, it should be noted that as an MP, Hon. Paul Essien went into every Ministry to lobby for projects for his constituents, and that is how come he lobbied for a modern market to be constructed at Elubo from the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives which was awarded to CGM Company Limited which is not from the Coastal Development Authority (CODA) as purported.

In the original plan for the market construction, Tikobo No.1 was not included but because of the visionary prowess of the MP, and, also the exhaustive nature of the land to accommodate the project at the allocated site at Elubo, Hon. Paul Essien re-negotiated with the Ministry through the Contractor to allocate part of the market to be constructed at Tikobo No.1, a town within the constituency in the same Constituency. These two different markets projects have dully been completed with that of Elubo currently in use whereas that of Tikobo.1 is yet to be commissioned.

However, upon the completion of these markets, the Ministry wrote to the respective MCEs in the constituencies, that is, Shama and Jomoro to commission these projects on their behalf on the 30th November 2020 as stated in the said letter. But we could not fathom why that could not happen as stated.

Moreover, since the projects cannot be abandoned while the market women still suffer, the Former MP, Hon Paul Essien, permitted the use of the facility at Elubo at a place known as (18) Eighteen after the 2020 Parliamentary and Presidential elections, awaiting official inauguration. This gesture coupled with many others being undertaken by the Former MP, whilst not in office even, has sent shivers to the spine of the NDC and their poor-performing MP in her first seven months in office, to be spreading falsehoods.

Indeed, there are some Coastal Development Authority projects ongoing in the Constituency, and accordingly, for a clearer understanding, we want to state without equivocation, that Hon. Paul Essien is/was not the contractor as purported by the Communications Officer of the NDC in the Constituency, Patrick Ellonu but there is an erroneous impression created that all the CODA projects which are ongoing and are at various levels of completion have been awarded to the MP which needs to be stated that Hon. Paul Essien does not have any company registered at the Register General.

The ongoing dual citizenship case, involving the NDC MP, Hon. Dorcas Affo Toffey at the Sekondi High Court has also contributed to the malicious agenda of the NDC to tarnish the image of the former MP. With the hope to incite the constituents against his potential return in the unlikely event, a bye-election occurs.

This press release, add up to other "image tarnishing agenda" set out by the NDC, including but not limited to; hiring some local radio presenters and other writers to publish calumnious statements to diffuse the achievement of Hon. Paul Essien; a recent video and publication from one disappointed, aimless, and bootlicking NDC errand boy, Ekow Kelvin Taylor, the owner of Loud Silence Media, in which he linked the activities of Immigration Officers at the Elubo border to Hon. Paul Essien, alleging that they transport people from Ivory Coast to Ghana despite the border closure.

With all these failed agendas, they are bent on weak and frivolous fishing expeditions, and dragging the name of the Former MP, into the mud.

Now, they are here once again to tell the general public that Hon. Paul Essien has failed to complete projects so the government should prosecute him for doing nothing wrong. This is a palpable falsehood.

We, therefore, ask these questions;

i. What crime has the former MP committed when the market project under discussion has been completed?

ii. How can someone who is not the contractor to the project cause financial loss to the state and therefore should be prosecuted by the government?

iii. Is it a crime to lobby for projects for your constituency as an MP?

iv. What is the correlation between the so-called press conference and the attached letter from MSDI?

These are some of the questions the office of the Former MP wants the general public to ponder on and know the caliber of people who are found in NDC in Jomoro and the kind of development they mean for the constituency.

But, it must be stated that in reference, the erroneous publication has all emerged a day after the Cape Coast Appeal court, dismissed the Appeals application filed by the embattled MP Hon. Dorcas Affo Toffey over her dual citizenship case which looks dire in her face thereby trying to do the gaudy politics of equalization.

However, the office of the former MP for Jomoro Constituency Hon. Paul Essien wants to state categorically clear and with all the spirit it deserves that, those markets projects mentioned *herein have been completed and there is evidence to that effect. Thus, the general public, NPP grassroots supporters, and all sympathizers of Hon. Paul Essien should disregard the concocted, mischievous and erroneous statement put out by Patrick Ellonu, the NDC Communications Officer in Jomoro Constituency with the resentment it deserves.

It is important to state that, be as it may, the Project is government-funded and initiated by the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives. In the event, the NDC or any well-meaning Ghanaian seeks any clarification on it, may use the appropriate channels for such, and not drag the name of the Former MP into failed propaganda from the NDC

To conclude, the modern markets lobbied by Hon. Paul Essien has rather brought some great relief to the market women in those towns which needs to be applauded by the same NDC for something they failed to do in 20years.

*Let me seize this opportunity to draw, and remind, in the unlikely event that the security services of Ghana have forgotten the criminality perpetrated by the JOMORO NDC COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, PATRICK ELLONU. In 2016, the aforementioned individual cautioned one woman at ELLENDA, a community within the Jomoro Constituency of killing her two children if these young men do not stop their politicization of issues in the area. Lo and behold, this criminal, Patrick Ellonu, whilst driving, intentionally chased, ambushed, knocked down, and killed instantly, these two young men on board a motorbike. The matter since was being handled by the district police command of Jomoro under the care of one CID officer, Sargent Amoah, who currently is at the CID headquarters in Accra. Nothing has been heard about this criminality perpetuated by the NDC COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER and he is walking a free man in the area.
I call on the rank and file of the security services; POLICE, CID, NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTRY, and even the Attorney General to as a matter of urgency cause investigation into the matter AND arrest this criminal who poses a threat to the security and lives of constituents in JOMORO*.

We say that the NDC is not afraid of NPP as a party in Jomoro but afraid of the fortified Personality of Hon. Paul Essien.

Hon. Paul Essien remains the visionary Leader in Jomoro and that gives the current MP, and NDC party a headache to combat with and we know that the affable Hon.Paul Essien the Excellent young Man will be vindicated. This

Long live the NPP!
Long live Jomoro!!
Long live Hon. Paul Essien!!!
The Battle is still the Lord's.

.....Signed.....

Thomas Kwasi Ackatia

P.A to Hon. Paul Essien.