General News of Sunday, 5 June 2022
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2022-06-05'Okafo didi' - Freddie Blay defends GHC25m National Cathedral 'additional seed money'
Freddie Blay, the National Chairman of the ruling NPP
Freddie Blay defends National Cathedral additional seed money
He likens it to a case of a debtor who must eat
Government pays GHC25 million towards project
Freddie Blay Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP, has justified the release of funds earmarked as 'additional seed money' for the construction of the National Cathedral.
In a teaser
Read full articleof a yet-to-be released interview on Accra-based GHOne TV, Freddie Blay likened the release to a debtor, stressing that even a debtor eats.
One of the hosts asked about the 25 million that has been allocated to the building of the National Cathedral, "Is this a good time to release that kind of money?"
Freddie Blay responded: "That is not the question, so they should release it at dawn or they should release it in the evening? Look okafo didi – i.e. a debtor eats. It is true the debtor does not eat palm nut soup but he eats."
The full interview will air on Monday June 6, 2022.
Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on Thursday, June 2, 2022; disclosed that some releases had been made in lieu of the project.
Ablakwa published a letter alleging that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo through his Finance Minister had authorized the release of GH¢25 million for the construction of the National Cathedral.
According to him, the release projected insensitivity on the part of a government that had failed to honour monthly payment of stipends to a category of workers amid the current economic challenges the country is facing.
Attached to his post was a document dated March 31, 2022, signed by the Minister for Finance Ken Ofori-Atta with the title “Seed Money for the construction of the National Cathedral.
“Authority is hereby granted you to release the sum of 25,000,000.00 (Twenty-Five Million Ghana Cedis) as additional seed money to the National Cathedral Secretariat for the construction of the National Cathedral for part payment of outstanding claims from RIBADE Limited,” portions of the document Ablakwa shared read.
Ablakwa has also posed seven questions to government on the lack of due process and procedural lapses in terms of Parliamentary approval and procurement breaches in respect of the payment.
