The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has charged government to stop sole sourcing contracts in order to tackle the rising spate of corruption in Ghana.
Speaking on Radio Ghana on Tuesday night, the former first lady and President of the defunct 31st December Women’s Movement further asked politicians to stop bribing the media to “keep quiet about issues that are happening” in the country.
Nana Konadu also lashed out at the media for not doing enough to expose corruption in Ghana “One major thing that I will say is that they should stop the sole sourcing for projects that will cut back on governmental corruption to a large extent.
“And then we should also stop bribing everybody for everybody to keep quiet about issues that are happening. We are supposed to have a vibrant media. If the media in general does not see anything wrong with what is happening in this country where we are deeply steeped in corruption and the country seems to be sinking and yet not much is being said we ask ourselves what is happening?”
The former first lady is not the first person to raise concerns over the practice of sole sourcing in awarding contracts.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) also raised similar concerns, arguing that sole sourcing is the root cause of corruption in the country.
According to the Chairman of PAC, Kwaku Agyemang, the selection of the companies to run or make procurement for the public private partnerships that have been indicted for various corrupt acts were done through sole sourcing. A number of public institutions, including the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA), the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) have been hit with a series of corruption scandals. In both cases, monies were paid to a number of companies who were awarded these contracts through sole sourcing for no work done.
Source: Citifmonline.com
