Eric Opoku, the spokesperson for former Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister, Alhaji Collins Dauda, has set the records straight on controversies surrounding the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project.
Alhaji Dauda has been charged with causing financial loss to the state in the Saglemi Housing deal.
Mr Dauda, who supervised the initiative at the time it was approved by Parliament, has also been charged with intentionally misapplying public property.
In the particulars of the offences, he is said to have intentionally misapplied $200 million “by causing the said amount, which had been approved by the Parliament of Ghana for the construction of 5,000 housing units, to be applied towards the payment of 1,412 housing units under the Saglemi Affordable Housing Project.”
But, reacting to the accusations, Mr Opoku, a former Brong Ahafo Regional Minister explained that the money Mr Dauda is alleged to have misapplied was not given directly to him but rather spent from the Ministry of Finance.
“That $200 million was not given to Collins Dauda. Anyone who tells you that money was given to Dauda is a liar. That money was presented to the Ministry of Finance and Works and the Housing Ministry only supervised the project.
“The only job the Works and Housing Ministry did was to get a recommendation letter for the contractor to be paid and that was even after the consultant who is also in government is satisfied with the work then a certificate will be generated to the government to facilitate payment. So the money could not have been given to Collins Dauda personally,” he told Chief Jerry Forson on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem Monday.
He said there were certificates to prove that work has been done on the project.
Mr Opoku, who is also the MP for Asunafo South argued that Mr Dauda has been in politics for so long and knows what is right and wrong as well as what the laws of the country say, and will never breach them for anything.
“Mr Dauda is a generous and honest man and won’t do anything to cause financial loss to the state. He knows his rights and wrongs and won’t dare step on toes. The money they are talking about was at the Ministry of Finance and certificates were issued to contractors to work on the project so how could you say Mr Dauda has spent such money?” he quizzed.
Mr Opoku maintained the former Minister has done nothing wrong and was ever ready to present himself when he is dragged to court.
Listen to Hon. Eric Opoku in the audio below for more:
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