Some Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are raining commendations on President John Mahama for terminating the Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) Contract.
The CSOs, Online Publishers Association of Ghana (OPAG) and Centre for Policy Research and Analysis (CePRA) described President Mahama’s decision as timely and apt respectively arguing that the contract termination action will save the country billions of cedis.
President John Dramani Mahama directed the immediate termination of all contracts between the Government of Ghana and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) following the conclusion of an investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP).
This directive was contained in a letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Callistus Mahama, and addressed to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson. The letter instructed the Finance Minister to take immediate steps to end all existing agreements involving SML.
The OSP recently concluded its investigation into the revenue assurance contracts between SML and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), which examined issues related to alleged procurement irregularities, contractual overreach, and value for money concerns.
According to findings shared by the Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, at a presser in Accra on Thursday, October 30, the investigation revealed that there was no genuine need for engaging SML for the services it purported to perform.
The contracts, he said, were secured through “self-serving official patronage, sponsorship, and promotion based on false and unverified claims.”
It is in light of the above that the CSOs are commending the President.
President of OPAG, Michael.Petit Mawugb (Efo Mawugbe) also emphasized the need for those involved in the deal to be prosecuted with all state funds recovered.
“Why should this deal be signed in the first place especially when it’s obvious SML did no work to warrant the monies they received”, Efo Mawugbe said.
source:www.senaradioonline.com
