Feature Article of Thursday, 17 May 2012Columnist: Asamoah, KwasiIn a rejoinder to Honorable E. T. mensah’s assertion that, the NPP failed to use GREDA in the construction of the Flagstaff house in the article “NPP Replies E. T. Mensah”, which appeared on Ghanaweb on May 15, 2012, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, the General Secretary of NPP alleges that 80% of the work on Flagstaff House (formerly Jubilee House). There is a difference between Ghanaians and GREDA (Ghana real Estate Development Association). Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie’s, intimation that 80% of the work on Flagstaff House (formerly Jubilee House) was done by Ghanaians is not the same thing as the GREDA having been contracted to do 80% of the work on Flagstaff House. Can Mr. Afriyie give us a list of GREDA companies which were contracted by the NPP government to build 80% of Flagstaff house as he is alleging? Mr. Afriyie is comparing apples to oranges, just to score cheap political points. While Honorable E. T. Mensah is talking about the NPP government’s failure to use GREDA for the building of Flgagstaff House, Mr. Owusu Afriyie is talking about 80% Ghanaian workforce, which is not the same thing as GREDA.
If he is referring Ghanaian workforce, I know there is a stipulation in contracts with foreign firms in the real estate industry which calls for a 70% local content. This means that 70% of the workers must be Ghanaians, and 70 % of building materials must be purchased locally. This stipulation is required of all foreign companies and it is strictly being adhered to by the NDC administration as a way of providing jobs for Ghanaians. This is what the NPP General Secretary, Mr. kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, is erroneously referring to as GREDA’s involvement in the building of Flagstaff House. The NPP government did not contract a single company from GREDA to build any part of the Flagstaff House. The project was contracted 100% to the Indians by the NPP government.
Kwasi Asamoah.