The Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) Foundation has refuted claims made by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that the project to build artificial turfs cost more than it actually did.
The Foundation has claimed that the assertions are false and deceptive in fact.
The amount spent on each project as of the reporting period, according to the organization's PIAC Report, was stated in a news release released on Wednesday, July 18, and signed by its Executive Director.
"Honourable Okudzeto's interpretation of the stated amount of GHS319,813,00 as the per-astroturf cost is factually incorrect and deceptive. According to a statement from the foundation, "The sum as included in the 2021 PIAC Report shows how much had been invested on each project as at the reporting period rather than the overall cost per Astroturf facility."
The Foundation claims that just 20% of the real cost was represented in the PIAC report's calculation.
"In reality, this amount only accounts for 20% of each facility's GHS1,590,000 contract total for the 2019–2020 period. As a result, the GH319,813,00 figure from the PIAC report is a progress payment based on milestone.
It further mentioned that 32 astroturf facilities, all of which are in various states of construction, are being funded nationwide.
It said that each astroturf's construction cost was estimated to be $250,000 (GH997,337.00) at the project's inception in 2018.
According to the foundation, each plant would cost $300,000 (GH1,590,000) in 2019 and 2020, as precisely indicated by the Minister of Energy in Parliament on July 5th, 2022.
According to the statement, "At this time, the cost per Astroturf facility is $350,000 (GH2,366,666.68), with the extra expenditures attributable to increased construction prices."
In a series of tweets on July 18, Mr. Ablakwa said that Ghana's oil revenue was being used in ambiguous and contentious situations to build Astro Turfs with inconsistent unit pricing and unequal distribution.
"The most recent PIAC Report and my core worries regarding Ghana's anaemic idea of sports development; how our oil money is being used under questionable and murky conditions to build Astro Turfs with contradicting unit prices; and the discriminatory distribution."
The Foundation has, nevertheless, advised the general public to ignore the accusations.
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