Following The aL-hAJJ’s incontrovertible exposé on the importation of 43 armor-plated luxurious vehicles for the presidency, latest intelligence report reaching this paper indicate that, President Akufo-Addo has finally given the green light for his administration to take possession of the vehicles, the freeze on the purchase of new vehicles notwithstanding.
A senior government official (name withheld) told this paper that despite the controversy surrounding which regime authorized the purchase of the vehicles and President Akufo-Addo’s directive to Ministries, department and agencies not to purchase new vehicles, the President has “ given directive to officials to take delivery of the now, ballooned 55 bullet proof vehicles.”
“His Excellency is of the view that since the contract for the purchase of the vehicles had already been concluded and both sides of the transition team agreed to the purchase of the vehicles for the presidency, we (government) must take delivery of the vehicles,” the source noted.
The source further explained that “government was not necessarily against the purchase of vehicles by the Mahama administration for the new government …the challenge actually was His Excellency’s recent embargo on the purchase of new vehicles for government MDAs…so we thought taking delivery of the new vehicles will go against the president’s own directive.”
According to the source “it is a fact that the presidency needs those vehicles because it is a shame that, President Akufo-Addo is using his personal vehicle for official duties. We need the vehicles and I think that was why His Excellency directed that we take possession of the vehicles despite government’s earlier freeze on purchase of new vehicles.”
The aL-hAJJ is reliably informed that the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah; Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta and senior officials of the Bureau of National Investigations have been tasked to liaised with the company in charge of the importation of the vehicles to ensure they arrive on time.
“Now that His Excellency has given clearance, we are going to take all the necessary steps to ensure that the vehicles arrive in Ghana. And I can assure you that with discussions we have had so far and, all things being equal, by middle of next month, the vehicles should land in Ghana,” a highly placed source told The aL-hAJJ.
Acting General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, recently gave hint of President Akufo-Addo’s resolve to take delivery of the vehicles on Peace Fm when he said government will accept the vehicles if they find it necessary.
The Akufo-Addo government had accused the Mahama administration of ordering the vehicles few days to exiting office on their blind side. But a former Presidential staffer in the Mahama administration, Dr. Clement Apaak, said the erstwhile administration ordered the vehicles at the request of the Akufo-Addo administration.
This was however refuted by a deputy Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who said “there was not even a conversation of this kind to purchase new vehicles or to even request for new vehicles.”
But The aL-hAJJ’s independent investigation revealed that Ken Ofori Atta, after discussions with Akufo Addo, struck the deal for the purchase of the vehicles with officials of the Mahama administration.
Investigations by this paper revealed that, President John Mahama’s green light for the deal, as was captured in the letter by his Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah to the then Finance Minister, Seth Terkper following a convincing explanations put forward by NPP member on the transition, Ken Ofori Atta. It has also emerged that a business mogul and financier of Akufo-Addo’s campaigns, Mr Kwabena Boateng Aidoo, is the man behind the importation of the vehicles. This among other things has compelled President Akufo-Addo to order for the acceptance of the vehicles.
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(Via: Ghana/Accra News)
