The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has said government will consistently protect the national purse in all its fiscal transactions to create an atmosphere of value for money.
He called on Ghanaians to ignore the propaganda of the opposition parties on the issue of the Power Distribution Service (PDS), and said the decision by the government to suspend the contract and follow up meetings with stakeholders have been smooth.
Mr Nkrumah said government did not rush into suspending PDS contract, but that “government could not sit down unconcerned but ensure that ECG assets to the tune of GH¢3 billion given to PDS on concession were protected”.
The minister, who was addressing the media in Kumasi said an investigation had been launched into the scandal by government, saying Ghanaians’ interest would be taken into consideration, adding that measures have also been put in place to ensure that workers of PDS were paid devoid of any hitch.
According to him, government would continue to work transparently to achieve results in the best interest of Ghanaians.
He said, already a team has been to Qatar as part of the investigation into the matter.
The minister therefore urged Ghanaians to commend the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration for bringing the matter into public domain.
On the media, he said government had no intention of gagging anyone in the country.
A government which has seen to the passage of RTI bill into law and accordingly assented by the President, introduction of media capacity programme and coordinated mechanism for media safety, could not be said to be against press freedom, he stated.
He, however, called on the practitioners to also abide by the ethics of the profession.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
