Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) says government had no business awarding SUBAH Infosolutions a contract in the National Street Naming exercise.
Government through the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development contracted I.T company, Subah Infosolutions to provide motorbikes for the national street naming project.
The Ministry in a letter ordered all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to make payments to Subah Infosolutions and Street Naming Ghana Limited for the procurement of motorbikes and other equipment for the national street naming exercise.
This directive by the ministry has sparked public outrage – particularly because Subah Infosolutions is currently under investigations for monies paid to it in another contract with Ghana Revenue Authority.
Programmes and Research Officer at the Ghana Integrity Initiative, Mrs Mary Awelana Addah speaking on Eyewitness News on Wednesday said government should not have dealt with Subah particularly when the company was an I.T company and also under investigations for some corruption saga [GRA –Subah deal].
‘’The ministry had no business going into a contract with Subah especially where the contract was a restricted tender; In this case we are all aware that Subah is into I.T and not into motorbikes,’’ she said.
According to her Subah Infosolutions is not known for its capacity in street naming, hence it did not qualify for the restricted tendering for the project.
She furthered explained that, ‘’government should not have dealt with Subah’’ because it was utterly not acceptable.
Mrs. Awelana Addah said the action of the Ministry also impinges on the freedom and independence of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to do their work at the local level.
GII called on government to as a matter of urgency re-negotiate the valid of the contract and the process. ‘’What was done has raised a lot more questions and we believe those questions can be answered if the president decides to act on it,’’ She noted.
Deputy Minority leader in Parliament, Dominic Nitiwul, also described the actions of government as ‘’unethical’’.
According to the MP for Bimbila the Ministry for Local Government erred in awarding the street naming and purchase of motorbikes contract to Subah when it was under investigations on another controversial contract.
He said it was improper for government to have awarded the motorbike contract to Subah Infosolutions when it was under investigations. ”I don’t think that government should have immediately given Subah motorbike procurement when they were investigating Subah; it send s a very bad signal to the people of Ghana,” he added.
He also questioned whether Subah was an I.T company or a motorbike procuring company.
By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana