News:
August 22, 2011
Kojo Adu Asare NDC Member of Parliament for Adenta, has come out boldly and called on the government to withdraw its sovereign guarantee, for the STX Korean housing deal.
According to him, the delay in the execution of the project and the boardroom wrangling between the Korean and Ghanaian partners indicate clearly the deal had failed and he’s therefore urging government to withdraw the sovereign guarantee it granted to STX immediately.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, intransigently signed agreements with STX for the construction of 33,000 housing units to improve the huge housing deficit the country is encountering despite the opposition NPP calling for due diligence to be made on the Korean partners.
Stunned by power struggle between the partners – STX Engineering and Construction Ltd and STX Construction (Korea) – the project appears to be on hold since no work has been down on the project sites after over a year of signing the deal.
Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Monday 22nd August 2011, Kojo Adu- Asare, stated that though he was among the key supporters of the deal from the very beginning based on evidence that the company had the capacity to deliver, he had now come to the realization that the deal will not come to fruition.
The MP said it was unacceptable to allow a few individuals to “toy with the sensibilities of Ghanaians” and maintained that the country cannot wait for officials of STX to sort themselves out before delivering on their mandate.
“This country should not wait for any group of people to come to terms with themselves [before pushing through with the project]”, he insisted, adding: “It is immoral to wait any longer [because we don’t know when this boardroom wrangling will end.”
He urged government to take a serious look at the unfolding events concerning the deal and withdraw its sovereign guarantee, stressing that it was important that government takes a firm stand to ensure that others do not destroy the image of the NDC and thus its Better Ghana Agenda.
“I love NDC… I have gotten to a point [where] I think two, three, four or five people should not take 24 million people for a ride or toy with a party’s agenda,” since the consequence would be devastating.
By : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh