Naagyei 90.3 Fm Agyapa
The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) has called for the immediate dismissal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta over the seeming rot that has hit the Agyapa Royalties agreement.
This comes after the corruption risk assessment conducted by the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu on the Agyapa Royalties agreement which largely indicts officials of the Ministry.
Addressing the media in Accra, the Vice Presidential Candidate of PPP, Kofi Asamoah Siaw said Ken Ofori-Atta cannot be absolved of blame in the matter as he clearly abused his position for personal gains.
“The office of the President and the Executive approval have been used to provide a semblance of legitimacy to a fraudulent deal found to be inconsistent with the national interest. The President must not give us an impression to believe that he is compromised by familial ties such that, he cannot dismiss the Finance Minister.”
“He must not hide behind the small screen of Parliament to divert attention from the stinker Agyapa deal. The oath he swore to defend the constitution and the best interest of Ghanaians must be his top priority. If the Finance Minister refuses to resign then the President must revoke his appointment,” he added.
“With the recent corrupt happenings, does the Akufo-Addo administration and the trusted Finance Minister have the moral right to collapse businesses of Ghanaian entrepreneurs?” he queried.
The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, was the first to call for the dismissal of the finance Minister following the murky issues surrounding the controversial Agyapa Royalties Agreement.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has defended the processes that led to the approval of the controversial Agyapa Royalties Agreement in Parliament insisting it is without blemish.
Ofori-Atta put up the defense in a memo in response to a corruption risk assessment report issued by the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, on the Agyapa deal.
“Prior to initiating the Transaction, MoF ensured to undertake all the necessary prerequisite action required by law, from the procurement of transaction advisors, to the submission of transaction documents to the AG and Parliament for their review, input and approval.”
“This Ministry believes that it has been transparent from the onset. Once Government had independently assessed the potential value of the Transaction to Ghana, and Cabinet had approved the policy to monetize future gold royalties to support current developmental projects, MoF included in the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy Statement, Government’s intention to leverage the future wealth of Ghana’s gold resources to support current developmental needs,” Ofori-Atta said in the memo.
Amidu’s conclusion on corruption risk assessment report
“There is no guarantee that the sovereign minerals income royalties being ceded to Agyapa Royalties Limited without a national consensus and the analysis of the risk of corruption, and anti-corruption assessment environment as hereinbefore analyzed is not and will not be a leaking pipe in the public purse. There is further no guarantee that it will not constitute a windfall from this leaking public purse pipe for those Ghanaians lucky through partisan affiliations to be represented on its management and who might have had stakes as promoters in establishing and incorporating it in the safe haven of Jersey aforesaid.”
