In a shocking turn of events, the Mahama administration has come under fire for awarding a contract worth USDS 1.7 million through single sourcing procurement, a practice he had vehemently criticized and promised to abolish.
This move has raised questions about the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
President John Dramani Mahama, in his State of the Nation’s Address, had emphasized his commitment to ending sole sourcing procurement, citing it as a breeding ground for corruption.
The Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson, had also reiterated this promise during the budget reading.
However, just a few weeks later, the administration has gone back on its word.
The contract in question is for the implementation of a middleware solution, with Ostec Limited being awarded the contract without competitive bidding.
The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) granted approval for the single source procurement method, citing Section 40 (1) (d) of Act 663, as amended.
Critics argue that this move undermines the administration’s credibility and raises concerns about corruption.
The PPA has guidelines in place for single source procurement, which requires institutions to satisfy three main conditions.
However, it remains to be seen whether these guidelines were followed in this instance.
Ato Forson Reaction
In a reaction, the Minister for Finance, Ato Forson in a post on his Facebook page said ” My attention has been drawn to yet another baseless and misleading claim circulating about an alleged $1.7 million single-source procurement contract approved by me”.
According to him, ” This claim is completely false and should be disregarded. Let me state clearly and categorically: I have not approved any procurements since I took office as Minister”.
He added that “My focus remains on ensuring transparency, accountability, and responsible economic management in the best interest of Ghana”.
-BY Daniel Bampoe
