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CDD, MFWA, three other NGOs sue govt over GH₵1bn paid to SML

Five Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are seeking the recovery of over GH₵1 billion paid to Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML).

Earlier this year, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo tasked audit firm KPMG to audit the transaction between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and SML.

This contract was aimed at enhancing revenue assurance in the downstream petroleum sector, upstream petroleum production, and the minerals and metals resources value chain.

The KPMG report revealed that the GRA did not obtain the necessary approvals from the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) or Parliament for the contract.

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In response to the report’s findings, the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Human Rights and Governance Centre, and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) have filed a lawsuit against the government.

Executive Director of MFWA, Sulemana Braimah, stated in an interview with Citi News on Monday that “I think that if anything at all we would say that it’s based on some of the findings of the KPMG report that required that actions be taken to ensure that what is due the state comes back to the state.”

He added, “It has nothing to do with being satisfied with the KPMG report. If anything at all that gave us a little more into what we thought were the wrong things that were done in relation to the contract.”

“We are a country that is supposed to be governed by law and laws are not made for the beauty of having laws. Laws are made so that things will be done properly. Laws are made so that there will be equity, there will be fairness, there will be justness and there be accountability and in our view, the award of the SML contract and the delivery of the contract had in our view a number of things that are at variance with the laws of our land particularly and specifically relating to public procurement, laws regarding parliamentary oversight and so on,” he said.

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“Essentially we are saying if these laws were breached the right things must be done. If we’ve lost money as a result of these breaches, the money must be retrieved and sent back to the state. So essentially, we are saying the laws were not followed, monies have been paid and those monies must be brought back to the state,” he stated.

Source: Citinewsroom.com

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Parliament unanimously approves Dr.Ato Forson, Dominic Ayine and John Jinapor as ministers

Parliament has unanimously approved the first batch of President Mahama’s ministers.

The President nominated Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson as Minister for Finance, Mr John Abdulai Jinapor, Minister for Energy and Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.

After going through rigorous vetting by the Appointment Committee, Parliament has today unanimously approved Dr.Ato Forson as Finance Minister, John Jinapor as Energy Minister, and Dr. Dominic Ayine as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.

Today’s proceedings were overseen by Andrew Amoako Asiamah, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, in the absence of the Speaker, Alban Bagbin.

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Speaker Bagbin calls for Pan-African Cooperation to strengthen democracy

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has urged African nations to unite under Pan-Africanism to enhance democracy, political stability, and development.

Addressing the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire during its First Ordinary Session for the year, the Speaker called on African legislators to work in solidarity to combat terrorism, resolve the numerous conflicts plaguing the West African sub-region and address climate change.

Speaker Bagbin joined five other Speakers of National Parliaments from Senegal, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, and the ECOWAS Parliament to grace the session of the host and President of the National Assembly of Côte d’Ivoire, H.E. Adama Bictogo.

A gesture to reinforce a shared commitment to strengthening African Unity through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue.

The Speaker was accompanied by his spouse,Madam Linda Ofosuah Oboh, Members of Parliament, including Hon. Habib Iddrisu, Hon. Dorcas Toffey, Hon. Dr Sebastian Sandaare and some staff.

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