Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has restated the pledge by flag-bearer and leader, John Dramani Mahama that the next NDC government will not recognize the illegal contracts between the Government of Ghana and SML, upon assumption of office in the year 2025.
Speaking at ‘A Moment of Truth Press Conference’ held on Monday, 29th April, 2024 at the NDC Headquarters, he mentioned that when elected into office, they shall launch credible and transparent investigations into the agreement he called “this stinking Mobilization Ghana Limited (SML) scandal”, with the aim of retrieving for the State, all illegal payments made to SML and ensuring the prosecution of all persons who are complicit in these illegal transactions and that, the NDC is committed to promoting transparency, accountability and value for money in all government procurements.
He emphasized that his party is in firm belief that anyone who has participated in the plunder of the State will be held accountable and that, “this is not a threat; it is a promise, premised on the wishes of our citizens across the various political and social divides, and hinged on the principle of accountability”.
“While in opposition, sole-sourcing was tantamount to corruption according to the NPP. Breaches of the procurement law was considered an abomination. Indeed, since 2017, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government has prosecuted several persons for alleged procurement and other statutory breaches. Some of these people have been convicted and are languishing in jail today.
In fact, the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei was removed from office on grounds of procurement breaches. This standard of accountability cannot and will not be any different for members of the ruling NPP who are responsible for the sleazy SML deal and other corruption scandals”.
According to him, the NDC is disgusted by the scandal-plagued Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government’s attempts to hide grave instances of corruption involving the transactions between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML), a privately held Ghanaian company.
He believes that these corrupt practices resulted from the awarding of specific unlawful contracts to SML by the ruling NPP administration, which was working through the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
“Thanks to a patriotic investigative work carried out by one of your own in the media, an illustrious son of Ghana, Manasseh Azure Awuni and his colleagues at the Fourth Estate, the underhand and shady dealings between the GRA and SML have been unmasked”.
Following huge public angst against the putrefying details of the Fourth Estate’s exposé, coupled with mounting calls from the NDC Minority in Parliament, Civil Society Organisations and other well-meaning Ghanaians for an investigation, President Akufo-Addo tasked KPMG to conduct an audit into SML’s dealings with the GRA.
After initial reluctance to make details of this audit, the Presidency last week published only portions of KMPG’s investigative report on the matter, which have nonetheless raised several grave matters that border on naked corruption and the abuse of the public purse.