Ablakwa exposes unapproved US$48 million contract awarded by Ursula Owusu

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has brought to light a concerning revelation regarding a multi-million dollar contract awarded by Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful without the necessary approval.

The MP took to his social media accounts on July 6, 2023, to share evidence in the form of correspondence between himself and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), supporting his claims.

Ablakwa’s post featured excerpts from his caption, stating, “In my latest exposé, I reveal how Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful shockingly awarded a US$48 million contract without PPA approval.”

He further added, “The contract was dubiously awarded to the same Nigerian cabal which has hijacked the Communications & Digitalization sector.”

The MP’s request, dated June 8th, was titled “REQUEST FOR INFORMATION” and inquired about the procurement approval status of Ascend Digital Solutions under the US$48 million Rural Telephony Project contract.

According to him this contract, allegedly assigned to the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization since 2020, encompassed Engineering, Design, Build, Rollout, and Managed Services.

Ablakwa sought confirmation from the PPA regarding compliance with the Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663), as amended by (Act 914).

In response, the PPA, through Deputy Chief Executive Kwame Prempeh, issued a letter dated June 30th, 2023, which stated, “We wish to inform you that our records do not reflect any information of the above-mentioned project.”

SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh