Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, has said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party executives are selling contracts for the 24-hour economy and are taking their percentage.
The minority leader alleged that the government has given the contract to their cronies who have no technical knowledge and are now selling the contracts to businessmen to take their percentages.
Speaking on Accra-based Atink TV, Alexander Afenyo-Markin stated, “The NDC government is selling the 24-Hour Economy Markets contracts. These contracts have been allocated to party executives who are selling the contracts and taking their percentages.
Afenyo-Markin further argued that the NDC government lacks prioritisation, indicating that while people are dying, the government looks on while Agenda 111 hospitals are rotting away.
He stated, “I am not saying 24-Hour markets are not good, but in the order of priorities of a country, we will not leave Agenda 111 while people are dying because they lack access to health facilities and build 24-hour economy markets. There are no health facilities, and there is pressure on the existing facilities. People are dying quietly because there are no health facilities”.
In related news, the Minority members on Parliament’s Local Government and Rural Development Committee have told John Mahama to use funds earmarked for the 24-Hour Market initiative to complete the abandoned Agenda 111 hospital projects.
The NPP minority argued that communities were 24-Hour Market initiative is not needed; the fund should be directed towards the completion of the Agenda 111 hospital projects in that area.
Francis Asenso-Boakye noted that several districts already have existing markets that are underutilised, adding that investing additional resources into new markets in those areas would not be the best use of public funds.
Speaking at a capacity-building workshop for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Accra, Francis Asenso-Boakye stated, “As District Assembly officials and political actors, you are supposed to build 24-Hour Markets, but I have realised that in many districts, they do not really need the 24-Hour Markets because there are existing markets already which are underutilised.
“I was asking the Health Minister whether he would make a case that in situations where you don’t need these 24-Hour Markets, can we invest the money in other areas which will certainly include the provision of healthcare infrastructure like the Agenda 111,” he said.
Also, Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, the Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, has said the NDC government cannot prioritise the completion of abandoned Agenda 111 hospital projects over the construction of 24-hour markets.
According to the Labour Minister, the government must balance the completion of inherited projects with the implementation of programmes it promised Ghanaians.
He argued that Agenda 111 was abandoned due to inadequate attention, illegal practices and corruption under the previous Akufo-Addo administration.
The Labour Minister questioned why the current administration is being criticised for not completing Agenda 111 projects within 15 months when the NPP, for 8 years, failed to complete the Afari Military Hospital.
Speaking to Citi News, he stated, “They came for eight years. They didn’t finish it. Within 15 months, they are saying, ‘Why is government not finishing our hospital?’ Isn’t it funny for anybody to be saying that? It is not strange that they can be blaming the NDC for what they failed to do”.
@ghnow_ Hon. Sammy Gymafi responds to Hon. Afenyo Markin #GHnow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ “I will go to Prison in his brain. “I am not afraid of any intimidation” – Hon Sammy Gyamfi to Hon Afenyo Markin #GHnow #Fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
