Agyapa deal; Ghana beyond aid yet selling us out – Kwadwo Afari Yeboah
Kwadwo Afari Yeboah
It is sad how successive governments have used every means to sell out the Financial Destiny of the Ghanaian People. With all the natural and economic resources at our disposal as a country the NDC and NPP duo have woefully failed to manage them prudently and judiciously to offer any hope for Ghanaians.
They started by selling state enterprises (factories and establishments) under the Divesture programme. Wasting away most of the industries set up by the CPP/Nkrumah government. Then continued selling strategic national assets to foreign entities including Ghana Telecom and Ghana Airways. NDC and NPP governments indebted the Tema Oil Refinery and has managed to collapse what was once a vibrant state owned Petro-chemical industry. Then we sold Obuasi Gold fields under Sam Jonah to the South African entity under the Anglo-Gold Ashanti deal. Government today can not account for the Volta Aluminium Company (VALCO).
Ghana Cocoa Board for almost 2 Decades have been mortgaging the hard work of Ghanaian cocoa farmers for Syndicated Loans only to come and share proceeds with friends and family in government.
The Tema Port has been given out to foreigners (Meridian Port Services – MPS) engineered under the Mahama NDC government and endorsed by the Akufo Addo NPP government for 30years with rumours of our airport sale to another in the air.
You Can’t Define Corruption Under this Government without Mentioning Akufo Addo – Josha Akamba
The drama continue with our new found Petroleum sector. All our oil findings and blocks are in the hands of foreigners. GNPC with successive NDC and NPP governments have only been a vehicle for exploiting our Petroleum wealth instead of exploring potential for our economic recovery. The introduction of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) was a welcoming intervention by civil society and several interest parties. However what is to be said by the prudent management of the Stabilization Fund and the abuse of the Heritage Fund beside the frivolous use of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA)? Everything Ghana is simply being offered to foreign off-shore accounts and investing in bonds and financial instruments at the mercy of neo-colonial interest.
Whilst NDC government decided to bequeath the debts and mess of the energy sector created by successive governments, they introduced the Energy Sector Levy Act (ESLA) to be paid by the ordinary Ghanaian. From the NPP Kufour Administration, Ghanaians have been paying TOR recovery levies yet to no avail. The Nana Addo NPP administration equally decided to take advantage of the situation to mortgage our debt recovery effort for their ESLA Bond.
IMANI probes Agyapa Mineral Royalty contract with 10 simple comments and questions
Ghanaians may well not forget the PDS saga and the Ameri deals under both NDC and NPP governments.
Why are these two parties taking advantage of the difficulties of Ghanaians and exploiting Us?
Right in the early days of the Nana Addo NPP administration, the Atewa forest which has enormous socio-economic benefits and interest to Ghanaians, was mortgaged for Chinese Syno-Hydro loans to shortchange Ghanaians under the disguise of providing infrastructure.
Agyapa Royalties fraud is the last straw: The Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas must go – Adongo
WHY ARE WE AS A NATION DECEIVING AND WRECKING THE DESTINY OF OUR OWN PEOPLE.
After unaccountable hefty LOANS by the NDC and NPP governments, here we have our only remaining none direct tax revenue stream for the consolidated fund also being put on offer as AGYAPA WHAT? YES Mineral Royalties have been abused by successive governments without any meaningful accountability. Even the 10% component managed by law by the Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, the beneficiary District Assemblies have FAILED to offer the people of Ghana value for money only using it for recurrent expenditure and wasting the funds.
The current finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta might be known for developing financial investment products and portfolios with his Databank company for private citizens, but mineral royalties are for the entire Ghanaian population with the constitution giving the President the responsibility of judicious stewardship in the interest of the PEOPLE. If our mineral royalties are as such quantifiable and profitable to be used as collateralized equity in a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be enlisted for the stock market whether local or foreign, then the AGYAPA DEAL is indeed disingenuous. It is a deliberate attempt to short change Ghanaians to create a long-term wealth portfolio for the persons and entities involved – perhaps we may refuse to call it “Elite Capture”.
Nana Addo commissions five piped water supply systems for 69,000 residents of Volta Region
Ghanaians ought to be the ultimate beneficiaries of our natural resources including our mineral royalties. The government sells our mining concessions in undisclosed contracts, collect corporate taxes from mining companies. Why the royalties?
Ghana is a Party to the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI), it is therefore imperative that the government subscribes wholly to the principles of equity and accountability where the People are to be involved in the decision-making of the management of revenue from mining and all other extractive sector. Such revenue includes mineral royalties. Was the AGYAPA DEAL opened to the representatives of the people in Parliament for consideration?
NDC exposes 15 Ghost Projects on Dr. Bawumia’s Delivery Tracker in Yilo Krobo
Our mineral royalties can not be given out as passing gift to some family and friends especially in an election as exit package.
The Nana Addo NPP administration should be advised and take caution to redraw the AGYAPA DEAL so it does allow itself any into any legal tussle in the interest of the Ghanaian more so in an election year.
Ghanaians need to be awaken and DECIDE their destiny
Kwadwo Afari Yeboah
SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh
