Kennedy Agyapong, a presidential hopeful from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has asserted that he played a pivotal role in securing Ghana’s Sinohydro deal, which facilitated the construction of roads in the country.
He explained that the government’s initial attempt to negotiate a road construction deal with China failed, but he leveraged his association with a company to help secure the $2 billion Sinohydro deal for road construction.
“I’m just an MP but I fought for the government to get $3 billion. Again, the same Sinohydro, which is being used to construct roads in the country, was partly because of my contribution. Myself and Mr Oppong were the representatives of Sinohydro for the construction of the Bui dam. They are the ones who gave us the 2 billion dollars that is being used for the construction of roads,” Agyapong stated in Twi during a speech to NPP members in the Banda Constituency in the Bono Region.
He emphasized that the Chinese government agreed to provide the funds to Ghana through the Sinohydro deal due to the company’s positive track record in the country, particularly its involvement in the construction of the Bui Dam.
Agyapong, who is the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, challenged fellow candidates in the NPP’s flagbearership race who claim credit for the Sinohydro deal to a debate to prove their contributions.
He further noted that despite being a “simple legislator,” he has contributed significantly to helping the government secure various resources, although he does not boast about it.
The Sinohydro agreement, a multi-billion-dollar deal between Ghana and China’s Sinohydro Company, involves bartering refined Ghanaian bauxite for Chinese construction of infrastructure in the country. This arrangement has been praised as a model for other African countries to consider to address their economic challenges.
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