Dr Nduom can’t claim credit for Ghana’s $547m MCC compact – Kufuor

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has dismissed claims that Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom should be given credit for the role he played to enable Ghana secure the $547 million grant from the US-run Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in 2007.

According to Mr Kufuor, he brought on board Dr Nduom at the tail end as there was already an established team including MiDA CEO Mr Martin Esson-Benjamin that has been working on the project to secure the MCC funds.

“I invited Dr Nduom to the Castle and I introduced him to the project team. I told the team that this is your leader so work with him,” Mr Kufuor said on Citi FM’s Breakfast show today February 16, 2012.

The ex-president indicated that before Dr Nduom was invited to lead the team, there was one Britain-based accountant who was working on apart-time.

Mr Kufuor said the money was given to Ghana not because of Dr Nduom but due to the country’s good governance.

Some sections of the public are of the view that Dr Nduom should be given credit for the compact.

Indeed Dr Nduom has also stated on his personal blog that “As a result of the technical and managerial leadership I provided to the Ghana MCA Project Team, the Compact was signed on August 1, 2006 at an impressive ceremony at the State Department in Washington, DC and is worth $547,009,000.”

The five-year compact ended yesterday February 15, 2012 with an official opening of the N1 Tetteh Quarshie-Mallam Road by President Atta Mills and the CEO of the MCC, Mr Daniel Yohannes as well as Mr John Kufuor.

By Ekow Quandzie