The North East Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party has denied authoring any letter to instruct or request the Acting Chief Executive of the Northern Development Authority (NDA) to offer government contracts under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) to members of the party.
In a sharp rebuttal on Monday, 22 February, 2021, Lawyer Sule Sambian said, “in this era of fake news, these things do not strike me as surprising; what surprises me is how a member of Parliament would fail to do due diligence, but can proceed to ask a minister-designate questions based on this maliciously false letter!
The irate Sule Sambian lambasted the National Democratic Congress lawmaker for failing to do due diligence to verify the purported letters allegedly emanating from him, adding, What stopped the Member of Parliament for the Tamale North Constituency from even verifying whether any projects were awarded to the contractors named in the fake letter? Or is it that the Member of Parliament has decided to be playful with the job assigned to him as a member of the vetting committee?
“I will advise the Member of Parliament for the Tamale North Constituency to do himself the honour of at least verifying every piece of information he comes across before bringing it to a serious platform like the appointments committee” he maintained.
The Minority in Parliament has demanded the immediate resignation or removal of the Acting Chief Executive Officer for the Northern Development Authority (NDA) over what they described as procurement breaches.
They accused Dr. Alhassan Sulemana Anamzoya of sharing contracts to members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) without following due process.
NDA statement
The NDA in an earlier statement last Friday, 19 February, 2021, also refuted allegations of instructing contractors and suppliers to pay some 5 percent of their contract sums towards the campaign activities of the NPP in the 2020 general elections.
The NDA Director of Corporate Affairs and International Relations, Mr. Samson Salifu Danse said the authoring of the fake letters and forgery of letterheard and stamp of NDA were criminal and therefore entreated the Parliament of Ghana and the general public disregard it and treat it with the utmost contempt it deserves.
He added said it is rather unfortunate that a member of the Appointments Committee of Parliament who doubles as the Member of Parliament for the Tamale North constituency in the northern region would use the said letter in the ongoing vetting process without conducting due diligence to authenticate the veracity of the document.
However, the Minority in Parliament is calling for by-partisan probe to unravel the truth of the matter.
Below is the full statement of the NPP Scribe
For Immediate Release
22nd February 2021
I have sighted copy of a letter purported to have emanated from the North-East Regional Secretariat of the NPP, and addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority. I have also watched a video of the vetting of Honourable Mavis Hawa Koomson in which Honourable Alhassan Suhuyini, Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency cited the said letter and made reference to contents if it was coming from me.
The said letter, which pretends to bear my signature instructs, or otherwise advises the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority to award some IPEP projects meant for the North-East Region to listed contractors.
In this era of fake news, these things do not strike me as surprising; what surprises me is how a member of Parliament would fail to do due diligence, but can proceed to ask a minister-designate questions based on this maliciously false letter!
I could have allowed this to slide, just like the way the constituents of Tamale North have decided not to pay heed to the non-performance of their Member of Parliament; but for the respect and love I have for party members in the North-East Region, I have to put this childish and ill-founded allegations to perpetual rest.
What stopped the Member of Parliament for the Tamale North Constituency from even verifying whether any projects were awarded to the contractors named in the fake letter? Or is it that the Member of Parliament has decided to be playful with the job assigned to him as a member of the vetting committee?
I will advise the Member of Parliament for the Tamale North Constituency to do himself the honour of at least verifying every piece of information he comes across before bringing it to a serious platform like the appointments committee.
For the records; I have NEVER authored a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority or any C.E.O. for that matter, requesting that projects be awarded to some named contractors. The letter is FAKE without a shadow of doubt!
The security agencies have been informed to investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
Thank you
Sulley Sambian
North-East Regional Secretary (NPP)
0244793046
