News:
July 26, 2010
Nadowli West MP and Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hon. Alban Sumana Kinsford Bagbin, says members of the “Minority group in Parliament should be grateful for the fact that President Mills, who is a father for all, includes them in decision making” and governmental projects.
Hon Bagbin recalled that during his tenure as the Minority Leader under Ex-President Kufuor’s administration, he was “never involved in or asked to go anywhere.”
“…because the President wanted an all-inclusive government, he has listened to what everyone is saying, including that of the minority, giving the withdrawal of STX from parliament as an example,” he said.
Mr. Bagbin made this known when he called into Radio Gold’s political, socio-economic programme, “Alhaji and Alhaji”.
The Government of Ghana and the STX Engineering Company and Construction Limited are entering into Supplier’s Credits Financing Agreement which when completed will provide 30,000 housing units for the security service at a cost of US$1,525,443.468.00 for the security services.
The NPP representative on the programme, Dominic Nitiwul, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bimbilla, had earlier raised concerns about the off-taker agreement and other relevant documents which he argued were shrouded in secrecy because they were not made available to the Minority.
Hon Nitiwul posited that it was the strength of the argument by the Minority which compelled President Mills to ask Hon. Bagbin to withdraw the bill, and asked that if the agreement was brought to the attention of Cabinet and the President critically examined it, “why is he requesting for a second look?”
But Hon. Bagbin pointed out that the STX Housing contract was brought to parliament based on Article 181 and added that “the government is not interested in the cash but the housing unit.”
“I have never told any MP or Parliamentary Committee that the cost of the housing unit was $30,000, so I’m surprised at the accusations that are coming up. I appeared before the committee because it was my ministry and by the time I got there it had been signed…We promised to build a better Ghana and that is what we will do,” he added.
Source:Peacefmonline.com