Samuel Nartey George, the minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations has revealed his ministry is a true definition of state capture.
The sector minister in a press conference yesterday accused the former Akufo-Addo Bawumia administration of engaging in a third-party contract that allegedly diverts revenue from the National Information Technology Agency (NITA).
According to Sam George, NITA has only 25 Ghana Cedis, 8 pesewas as its bank balance at the Bank of Ghana but the agency owes GHC813,486,505.89.
Sam George further vowed to provide a detailed briefing to Parliament on the alleged financial mismanagement within the ministry.
Speaking to the media on Monday, March 24 Sam George stated, “National Information Technology Agency (NITA), for example, has 25 Ghana Cedis, 8 pesewas as its bank balance at the Bank of Ghana. Meanwhile, the agency owes GHC813,486,505.89. This is the ministry we took over”.
“NITA has a certain contract arrangement with a third-party vendor. I have summoned that third-party vendor to appear before me tomorrow because I do not understand how all the revenue coming to NITA is being redirected. The previous administration signed a contract that diverts all of these funds, giving them to a third party,” he alleged.
Sam George further noted, “The payment for services using NITA’s infrastructure, which I was supposed to approve to a third-party company, was almost four million Ghana Cedis. I have refused to sign it and have referred it to the Attorney General.
“I will not authorise such payments until I understand why NITA is not receiving a dime while a private sector player is using NITA’s infrastructure and earning almost four million Ghana Cedis. Meanwhile, all the debt is sitting on NITA’s books while the revenue goes to the private sector”
“The ministry is a true definition of state capture. I will come to the house and brief the house extensively on the rot in the ministry”, he emphasized.
Samuel Nartey George at the same press conference boldly declared the managers of AirtelTigo are “enemies of the state”.
The sector minister noted that the AirtelTigo claimed to be purchased for $1 under the former Akufo-Addo Bawumia government now has a debt exceeding 3.5 billion Ghana Cedis on its books.
He fired shots at those who oversaw the process of purchasing the AirtelTigo.
Sam George stated, “Those who managed the AirtelTigo process are enemies of our state and individuals who have no sense of patriotism. So for anybody to have told us that they bought AirtelTigo for 1 dollar, and now that we have taken over the ministry, ATC (American Tower Company), just one of the companies AirtelTigo owes, has presented us with a bill of 1.5 billion Ghana Cedis”.
“The American Embassy, along with their team, was in my office, and one of the major issues raised was the indebtedness to ATC. The debt sitting on the books of AirtelTigo exceeds 3.5 billion Ghana Cedis.
“So if someone told you that they bought it for 1 dollar, who is going to pay the 1.3 billion that is sitting there and accumulating interest?” he questioned.
