Ashanti NPP chairman awarded US$45 million cocoa roads contract weeks to election

Documents emanating from government circles reveal the Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has been awarded a juicy contract valued at US$45 million by the COCOBOD to construct roads in cocoa-growing areas in the country.

Records from COCOBOD show that Bernard Antwi-Boasiako popularly known as “Chairman Wontumi” got the contract through his company; Hallmark Civil Engineering (HCE).

It is unclear if Hallmark Civil Engineering (HCE), registration number CS040052018 and has civil and road construction as the nature of its business, went through a competitive bidding process to land the job.

But the amount has been described as very outrageous because the roads to be constructed are not asphalt roads but bitumen roads which are less expensive.

Players in the road construction business have described the deal as a total rip-off of the taxpayer by politicians.

They were of the view that if the contract was genuinely awarded, it should not have gone beyond US$10million. Interestingly information available to The Herald is that aside from Hallmark Civil Engineering, “Chairman Wontumi” uses two other companies to cream government contracts from the COCOBOD.

His companies are promptly paid by the management of the board led by JosephBoahen Aidoo.

It is not clear how many other NPP regional chairmen are getting such jobs from the Akufo-Addo government.

Per the COCOBOD document, the contract was awarded about three weeks ago; specifically on November 12, 2020.

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On the Hallmark Civil Engineering, additional documents from the Registrar General’s Department strangely shows that the company was only registered in February 2018 and might not have executed a project of this nature, hence has no track record.

Mr Boasiako, according to the document, is the Managing Director(MD) of Hallmark Civil Engineering. The loud-mouth politician is expected to rehabilitate, upgrade, reconstruct in the areas listed in the contract.

The government said the contract must be executed in 24 months time. Hallmark Civil Engineering will be expected to complete the construction of the Dadieso-Akontombra road (km. 4.00-26. 30) Awaso- Asawnso (Babiani Jn) in the Western North Region.

The contract document addressed to Mr Boasiako read “We are pleased to inform you that Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has approved the award of contract for the construction Dadieso-Akontombra road (km. 4.00-26. 30)Awaso- Asawnso (Babiani Jn) in the Western North Region to your company”.

It went on to specify the terms and condition of the contract saying “You are required to sign a contract agreement upon submission of performance Bond Security for Ten percent (10%) of the contract price issued by a reputable Bank or Thirty percent (30%) of the contract price issued by a reputable insurance company registered with National Insurance Commission and acceptable by to COCOBOD.

Failure to submit the performance security within Twenty-One (21)days from the date of the letter shall constitute sufficient grounds for the annulment of the award of contract”.

Directors for Hallmark Civil Engineering are BernardAntwi-Boasiako and Doris Quainoo with their Tax Identification Number given asP0000792810 and P0007705735 respectively.

The company’s secretary details were given as Constance Wiafe TINas P0001150243 while the auditor is Eddie Nikoi who is into Accounting ConsultancyC0002435365.

Source: The Herald