Let’s Call A Spade A Spade.

We the Concerned Youth of Ghana are saying that former President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufour must call a spade a spade about the role Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom played in securing funds under the Millennium Challenge Account for the N1 (Tetteh Quarshie-Mallam) Highway.

We called for the recognition of Dr.Nduom’s role prior to the commissioning of the highway on Wednesday. We admittedly and deliberately called for the newly-constructed highway to be named after Dr. Nduom instead of its official name of the George Walker Bush Motorway. Dr. Nduom has called and given us caution about our actions personality. He has reminded us that “A lot can be achieved if we do not care who gets the credit”. But the comment of the former President shows ample justification for our actions. We are actually shocked by Mr. Kufuor’s comments. In facts, we are disappointed that he chose to make any comments about our actions.

Dr. Nduom has remained silent on the happenings choosing to sell his own story “at the right time”.

Media reports monitored by us provided this incredible account. According to Mr. Kufuor, the former Public Sector Minister cannot take credit for the project as preparations were already in its final stages when Dr. Nduom was brought to head the committee responsible for its implementation. “He was not the originator of the idea; in fact he came virtually at the tail end,” Kufuor stated. “But the team that worked the detail of the compact was there right from the beginning. We started working the draft of the contract with a person called Mr. Ansah, a consultant and an accountant as well. He led the team originally, but he wasn’t committed as it was required and so another person came in.”

He revealed: “Meanwhile, the main body of the team continued to work with the project. It was the final stage that invited Paa kwasi Nduom as my minster to come and head the team.” Mr. Kufuor said he recalled calling Dr. Nduom to the castle and introducing him to the committee as their new head. “He came as a Minister; in fact his main role was to be a spokesperson, more like a mouthpiece of the committee, and so if he says he is the originator then he would not be telling the story truthfully,” the former President pointed out.

So Mr. Kufuor overlooked all the many NPP cabinet and regular ministers in his administration and chose someone who was a CPP member to become the “spokesperson” of such an important initiative? Every time Dr. Nduom speaks, he gives credit to Mr. Kufuor and the CPP for giving him the opportunity to become a Minister of State. We will ask Dr. Nduom to revise his notes and reconsider his words. Obviously, his leadership qualities were wasted on some people. We are glad though that Ghanaians have a long memory and know and appreciate the role Dr. Nduom played on many, many, positive initiatives.

Mr. Kufuor says, if Dr. Nduom’’… has not even said the originator then he would not be telling the story truthfully”. But Dr. Nduom has not even said anything! So was this all pre-mediated? We have records to show that there were last minute maneuverings to remove Dr. Nduom as the signatory to the Compact after he had worked to get it done. This Mr. Kufuor knows and cannot deny it. So it is obvious that the NPP has had it in them to re-write this good story. It did not work then, and it not works now. Dr. Nduom has made history by showing leadership, dedicated to duty and supporting Ghanaian experts to be paid well to give of their best to mother Ghana. Neither Mr. Kufuor nor the NPP can re-write this history.

Finally, we have documents that prove that indeed when it comes to the N1 Highway, Dr. Nduom’s personal intervention inserted this showpiece and the other road projects into the compact design. We can prove this. With regard to comments made by Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Frank Agyekum, Nana Akomea and others, we believe they are only nervous about the fact that their candidate Nana Akufo-Addo was in government and cannot point to anything he did to better the lot of the people of Ghana. They must not tempt us to say more.

As for the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Development Authority, Mr.Martin Eson-Benjamin, we heard him on a radio a station talking about 30 project team members. We forgive his ungratefulness. As Dr. Nduom says, “success has many friends, work has very few volunteers.” We records to show that he was not there when Dr. Nduom led the team did the work to get the compact. We know how he got his job. We know how Dr. Nduom’s foresight in creating MiDA by legislative instrument that is recognized by the Compact has saved his job several times. He should be the last one to walk. We are informed that the one who deserves a lot of credit on the MiDA technical team is Mr. Mathew Armah who in all of this has become a silent listener. We congratulate him for his constant technical leadership.

Spokesperson & Leader
ALISTAIR NELSON TAIRO
CONCERN YOUTH OF GHANA (C.Y.G)
0241-582-113
alistairnelsont@gmail.com