Ablakwa petitions World Bank to probe $48m contract allegedly awarded by Ursula Owusu

Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has petitioned the World Bank to investigate a project being rolled out by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.

According to the former Deputy Education Minister, the $48m Ascend contract for the project did not go through the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) which he says is a clear violation.

“The Ministry of Communications and Digitalization (MoCD) in December 2022 awarded the World Bank-funded project worth USS49.5 million to Messrs. Airtel Ghana Limited and Ascend Digital Solutions Limited (ADSL). In the conduct of my constitutional parliamentary oversight duties, I have become aware of a litany of major irregularities, illegal conduct and fundamental breaches of the Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines in the award and execution of the Contract for the Procurement of Connectivity Needs to Increase High-Speed Government Connectivity to District Centres, Hospitals, Police Stations and Post Offices in Five Lots under the eTransform Project.

“This petition is anchored on unimpeachable documents and the patriotic and credible accounts of whistleblowers who courageously stand ready to assist the Bank in its much-needed investigations. The documents in my possession which bring me to an irresistible conclusion of collusion, misrepresentation and other multiple legal violations include tender submission documents from AirtelTigo/Ascend Digital Solutions Limited.

“The contract between the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and AirtelTigo/Ascend Digital Solutions Limited, sub-contract between AirtelTigo/Ascend Digital Solutions Limited and Huawei Technologies Ghana Limited, intercepted internal memos, response to my Right to Information Request from Ghana’s Public Procurement Authority, Official Reports of Parliament, Articles of Incorporation, social media statements from the Minister of Communications and Digitalization, a public statement from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications.”

—Citi Newsroom