Kelni-GVG deal: Ursula Owusu has 48hrs to Provide Parliament with answers

The minister has for the third time failed to honor parliament's invitation

Kelni-GVG deal: Ursula Owusu has 48hrs to Provide Parliament with answers
Ghana’s Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful

Ghana’s Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has been given a 48-hour ultimatum to appear before parliament to answer questions regarding the US$180 million contract with Haitian ICT firm, Kelni GVG.

Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye issued the directive after the Minister for the third time failed to honour an invitation to provide answers to questions filed by Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampam, Sam George.

 Mrs Owusu-Ekuful is being questioned in relation to the work of KelniGVG, which was awarded a contract to independently monitor the revenue of telecommunication companies.

Professor Oquaye was concerned that Mrs Owusu-Ekuful did not submit any written answers in her absence.

He, therefore, directed that the minister “makes herself available on Friday (August 8, 2020) to provide answers to the relevant questions”.

 

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Prior to the Speaker’s directive, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, told the House that efforts to reach the minister had been unsuccessful.

He said the minister was capable of answering the questions so the House she give her an extension to make herself available.

But Minority Chief Whip, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak Mohammed raised an objection that the minister had repeatedly failed to account to Parliament.

The Kelni GVG deal controversies 

Kelni GVG was awarded a contract by the government for design, development and implementation of a common platform for traffic monitoring, revenue assurance, and mobile money monitoring and fraud management.

The contract which some Ghanaians waged relentless crusades against accused the Communications Ministry, headed by Ursula Owusu-Ekuful of engaging in a fraudulent act solely to 'rape' the country with the award of a 10-year contract worth $178 million to Kelni-GVG.

The contract, according to policy think-tanks, particularly Imani Africa, is needless as it amounts to duplication of jobs which will result in the depletion of the country's resources.

The controversial $89 million contracts are expected to block revenue losses in the telecommunication sector and sim box fraud.