NDC propagandist Dr Tony Aidoo has accused the president of insincerity in the issue of the Peugeot vehicles obtained from Nigeria to boost the police fleet of patrol vehicles.
A twenty-six pager of a critique of the ruling NPP authored by Dr Tony Aidoo, who is also contesting for the position of propaganda chief for his party, pointed to the query from the Nigerian parliament on the issue of a $13m loan to Ghana for the same purpose. He suggested that it would be most preposterous for the government to quote that amount when in fact the same make of vehicle would cost not more than $1.3m.

Dr. Aidoo referred to the president’s assertion that his Government did not see the need to seek Parliamentary approval for the acquisition of 100 Peugeot Saloon cars for the Police because, 50,000 tons of Cocoa had been smuggled to Togo and that the Police needed the cars quickly to combat such smuggling.

He also dismissed the explanation earlier this month by Information Minister Jake Obetsebi-Lamtey that the source of funding for the cars was from“the Provisional Estimates” pointing out that the statement had been challenged by the NDC Minority in Parliament to be both contradictory and false. Contradictory, because of the minister’s own claim that “the acquisition was governed by a 3 year payment duration at 0% interest for the first consignment of 50 cars and 2.5% for the second consignment”

In short, items that had been bought with Ghana’s own allocated money should not attract a 3-year repayment schedule with interest. Also the explanation was false in two senses. On the one hand, the Provisional Estimates or Votes on Account approved by Parliament in December 2001, for the Police Service Budget for Investment was only ?820 million; a sum that could purchase only 8 of the 100 procured cars.

The former deputy defence minister then questioned the NPP’s stance on transparency and zero-tolerance for corruption suggesting that the Nigerian Members of Parliament had let the cat out of the bag, with the criticism of their own Government for failing to get Nigerian Parliamentary approval for a loan of U.S$13 million to Ghana for the purchase of Peugeot Saloon cars from Nigeria for the Ghana Police.” So, the NPP-Government had, without Parliamentary approval as prescribed by Article 181 of our Constitution, contracted an international loan of US$13 million, ostensibly for the purchase of 100 Peugeot Cars that cost a total of U.S.$1.3 million?

....But Jake refutes claims

Information and Presidential Affairs minister Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has however questioned the source of Dr. Tony Aidoo’s claim of a $13million loan insisting that government will only need parliamentary approval when there are arrangements to pay for the cars. To him, the entire deal was “a trading transaction not a sovereign loan”.

Moreover government has never stated anywhere that it purchased the vehicles through a loan from the Nigerian government. So instead of the misconceptions “ Ghanaians should be rather grateful to the government of Nigeria for immediately offering the 50 cars without reaching an agreement with government”.

As to how different the mode of acquisition of the cars is from that of the controversial presidential jet purchased by the former government Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said the police cars were acquired under different conditions claiming that “in the case of the jet money was released for the jet months before it was brought to parliament for approval”.

Confirming that more of the vehicles are to be purchased, he disclosed that the total cost of the vehicles is not $13.5 million as is being alleged but $1.3 million.

The controversy surrounding the police vehicles was heightened last week when President Kufuor expressed disappointment at the inability of government officials to render a meaningful explanation of the mode of acquisition of the cars. Officials had earlier stated that the cars were purchased through a loan from the Obassanjo government but the President made it clear that “no loan was taken to bring in the 50 cars from Nigeria”
This is the second contract the government has contracted with neighbouring Nigeria, which has generated so much controversy, the first was the Sahara Oil deal