The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Emmanuel Cherry says industry experts are not going to be involved in the construction of hospitals under the “Agenda 111 project”.
According to him, the project is a laudable initiative and in one front puts the collective interest of the nation ahead of individual interests and in another way does otherwise.
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He believes the project could have created numerous job opportunities for the youth if there had been no political interference and claims contracts for the project have been issued to a few firms belonging to members of the ruling party, with the few available ones being sold to the highest bidder.
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“The project is going to be a game changer in the health sector. At the preliminary stages, there were invitations to the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, Architects and other professional bodies but along the way, these consultations dropped. If each project is given to 2 engineers to work on, there will be some 222 engineers working on these projects. And same could’ve been done for other bodies which would’ve been involved in the project, causing a multiplicity of job opportunities. But now 10 contracts have been awarded to 1 person. They are packaging the work for 1 person and that is not fair.”
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He disclosed that no biddings have been done for the construction of these hospitals but “I tell you authoritatively that the project has been hijacked and shared within the NPP government alone. We need the contracts to be shared equitably. Trust me if it is done so, all professional contractors will do the work so well that they’ll clap for us.”
Speaking to Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, Emmanuel Cherry noted that with the contracts opened to all interested parties, there will lots of jobs created as every contractor will have his crew, “rather than only one or two crews doing the job. It is wrong to line the pockets of only one person.”
The businessman also believes a few people undertaking these construction works will eventually affect the delivery speed and efficiency.
“To be honest kudos to the President and his team but we need to ask how the awards and the tenders were given, the distribution is what we have a problem with. The way the contracts are being awarded is shrouded in secrecy. I can say for a fact that a lot of people have bought the contracts and are selling to others. The procurement system is not clear. A lot of jobs will be created if the tender is done properly,” he intimated.
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The government will begin the construction of hospitals under the “Agenda 111 project” on Tuesday, August 17, 2021.
The entire project includes 111 district hospitals, seven new regional hospitals, two additional mental health hospitals to be located in the middle and southern belts, and the redevelopment of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital.
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It has been estimated that each of the 111 district hospitals would cost approximately $17 million and should be completed 12 months from the respective dates of commencement.
So far, $100 million had been released for the commencement of the project.
