Government’s $100m traffic management contract with Huawei a big deception – Minority

Minority in Parliament is raising red flags over a $100 million contract between government and Huawei Technologies for the Accra Metropolitan Area ICT Enhanced Traffic Management Project.

Over 11,000 CCTV cameras as part of the arrangement are also expected to be mounted to allow security agencies to monitor traffic and also enhance general security in the metropolis.

The National Security Minister laid the agreement before parliament for approval last week which is being considered by the Defense and Interior Committee of Parliament.

But former Minister for Roads and Highways, Inusah Fuseini, has expressed stiff opposition to the arrangement.

According to him, the contract agreement and an accompanying request for approval of a $210 million loan from the China Development Bank for the project were approved on December 22, 2019.

He added, “the contractor has executed part of the project and raised interim payment certificates totalling $16 million waiting to be paid.”

Speaking at a press briefing, Mr Fuseini told journalists that the move amounts to what he describes as a big deception.

“Today, we are being invited to approve of the same facility that has already been approved and which is standing in our loan books for the same for the same project,” he explained.

He said the deal smacks of corruption because “they have changed the title of the Project” after it was initially shepherded by the Minister for Roads and Highways likely to plunge the country into judgment debt.

“This project today is being brought to the house by the Minister for National Security. If even we allow them to go ahead, you can rest assured that what they are going to do will be a candidate for what for judgment debts.

Meanwhile, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Roads and Highways Committee, Kwame Agbogya Governs among other things indicated that the seeming change in the Ministries in charge of the deal raises more questions.

“What has the synchronisation of traffic in Accra got to do with the National Security Minister.

“Indeed, when they came to Parliament they told us that they were going to build a control room and that control room, National Security, MTTD and everybody has access to it,” he said.

Mr Agbodza believes someone at Flagstaff House has altered the arrangement for the benefit of Huawei while urging parliament not to ratify the new deal.

“We have no interest in the turf war at Flagstaff House but in Parliament, we must be sure that if we are approving loans, we are doing the right things,” he added.

Meanwhile, the government said the contract with the initial company, Beijing Everway Traffic and Lightning Technologies, had been terminated after they were indicted for some illegalities for which reason it decided to fall back on Huawei.

Over 11,000 CCTV cameras as part of the arrangement are also expected to be mounted to allow security agencies to monitor traffic and also enhance general security in the metropolis.