Akufo-Addo runs to World Bank for US$50m loan to build Judicial Training Institute – Ablakwa

After the Judicial Training Institute were razed down by the government to pave way for the construction of the controversial National Cathedral, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is alleging that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government desperately needs a US$50 million loan to construct a new Judicial Training Institute at the Cocoa Affairs Court land.

According to him, the government of Ghana is now knocking at the doors of the World Bank for the loan after negotiations with the ECOWAS Bank for investment and development failed.

In a post on his Facebook timeline, the North Tongu MP indicated that by the time the National Cathedral is built, the total cost would have jumped from US$350 million to US$450 million because of a US$100 million compensation that the government needs to pay.

“Government and the Chief Justice are currently desperately looking for a US$50 million loan to construct a new Judicial Service Training Institute after Ghana’s reputable judicial training institute was razed to the ground to pave way for the construction of the national cathedral. Their negotiations with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development have broken down, and they have now approached the World Bank,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said.

He added, “as the Akufo-Addo cathedral scandal gets more putrefying — adding to the list of what government is refusing to tell Ghanaians is the full cost of compensation for demolished properties.

“As I revealed on Newsfile earlier today, we estimate not less than US$100million (about GHS800million) would be used as compensation for all affected. This includes the cost of relocating the Malian Ambassador’s Residence to Airport Residential, outstanding payments to private business owners such as Waterstone Realty Ltd and ComSys Ghana Ltd, and the cost of constructing a new Judicial Training Institute at the proposed Cocoa Affairs Court land.”

He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to always remember “to add US$100million to the latest figure of US$350million as the real cathedral cost. A rather costly US$450million (GHC3.5billion) personal presidential pledge to God.”

“If this was a functioning democracy, we the people should have first been engaged whether this is how we will want our government to spend a colossal GHC3.5billion, particularly during this period of debilitating economic crisis typified by a cost of living nightmare,” Ablakwa observed.

He concluded his post by thanking the National Cathedral Secretariat for confirming all his exposé about the President’s National Cathedral, which is now incorporated as a company.

“And as for that 7-page statement issued by the National Cathedral Secretariat, I can only thank them for confirming all the information I have put out so far, and for effectively justifying the national outrage which has only further escalated our resolve to fearlessly demand answers to the unresolved accountability issues and be even more determined in exposing all the unholy shenanigans,” Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa stressed.

Find Ablakwa’s post below:

As the Akufo-Addo cathedral scandal gets more putrefying — adding to the list of what government is refusing to tell Ghanaians is the full cost of compensation for demolished properties.

As I revealed on Newsfile earlier today, we estimate not less than US$100million (about GHS800million) would be used as compensation for all affected. This includes the cost of relocating the Malian Ambassador’s Residence to Airport Residential, outstanding payments to private business owners such as Waterstone Realty Ltd and ComSys Ghana Ltd, and cost of constructing a new Judicial Training Institute at the proposed Cocoa Affairs Court land.

Government and the Chief Justice are currently desperately looking for a US$50million loan to construct a new Judicial Service Training Institute after Ghana’s reputable judicial training institute was razed to the ground to pave way for the construction of the national cathedral. Their negotiations with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development have broken down, and they have now approached the World Bank.

So one needs to always remember to add US$100million to the latest figure of US$350million as the real cathedral cost. A rather costly US$450million (GHS3.5billion) personal presidential pledge to God.

If this was a functioning democracy, we the people should have first been engaged whether this is how we will want our government to spend a colossal GHS3.5billion, particularly during this period of debilitating economic crisis typified by a cost of living nightmare.

And as for that 7-page statement issued by the National Cathedral Secretariat, I can only thank them for confirming all the information I have put out so far, and for effectively justifying the national outrage which has only further escalated our resolve to fearlessly demand answers to the unresolved accountability issues and be even more determined in exposing all the unholy shenanigans.