Higher authority, not ministers to blame for judgement debt – John Jinapor

Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu constituency, John Jinapor has noted with concern, the apportioning of blame on Ministers of Roads, Finance or National Security, for the impending judgement debt from the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management contract.

The former deputy power minister thinks that a person of higher authority above the ministers should be held accountable for

Read full articlethe cost that has emerged from the contract with a Chinese company, although he would not mention any names.

Speaking about a recent development where management of the Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited has dragged Ghana to the London court of international arbitration over abrogation of contract between the two parties, Mr Jinapor said: “a higher authority than these ministers should take the ultimate responsibility.”

Ghana contracted Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited in 2018 to implement an Accra Intelligent Traffic Management project worth $100 million after Parliament’s approval.

The contract was later re-laid before Parliament in November 2020, this time around between Ghana, Huawei Technologies Company Limited and the China National Import and Export Corporation.

He expressed pessimism over the country’s chances of turning the case around.

“I wish Ghana all the best but clearly if you look at what transpired, we should prepare for another massive one,” he conceded.

Speaking on Citi TV’s The Point of View on Monday, Mr John Jinapor also commented on another looming judgement debt the country had been slapped with, following the cancellation of the Emergency Power Agreement with GCGP Limited.

The International Court of Arbitration in its ruling on the matter slapped Ghana with $134milllion with a $30 million interest payment obligation.

The former deputy power minister decried government’s failure to exercise restraint on such deals.

“Why can’t we negotiate when we want to terminate. At least pursue that option first. Negotiate and see if you can come to an amicable solution.”

“If negotiation fails, and you are pursuing the other option, that makes a bit of sense but why this rush to terminate only to go to the international court of arbitration and pay huge sums of money. This is unfair,” he added.

In a related development, energy expert and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey attributed the judgement debt to what he described as the undue haste with which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government sought to do away with the deeds of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“D undue haste to jettison their predecessor’s deeds, never minding legally-binding obligations, is d root cause of d wasteful & exorbitant judgement debts..,” he wrote on his Facebook wall in reaction to the development.