Don't sell GT, fire management - GNP

Accra, July 28, GNA - Ghana National Party (GNP), one of the newly certified political parties contesting the December polls, on Monday called on the government not to sell Ghana Telecom (GT) to Vodafone. It said rather, government should fire the current GT management and de-politicize GT's operations to make profit.

"Selling GT will be an insult to the intelligence of the people of Ghana - fire the unproductive management and de-politicize its operations and GT will make profit," a statement issued in Accra and signed by the Mr Samuel Ofori-Ampofo, Flagbearer of GNP said. It said the GNP had learnt with shock and distaste, the attempt by government to trade-off its 70% shares in the state-owned GT to the British phone company Vodafone. The statement said GNP had closely monitored events related to the GT-Vodafone deal for the past weeks and had concluded that, the process truly lacked transparency and above all it was not in the best interest of the entire country. "We are, therefore, unambiguously opposed to the deal, and suggest that if the present management team is not performing, there are a pool of Ghanaian telecommunication experts outside the country prepared to come back home to help salvage the company and make it profitable," the statement said.

The statement said GNP believed a vital national assert like GT, should be in the hands and control of Ghanaians for national security reasons and above all, its potential profitability. It noted that the telecommunication business was clearly the most booming industry in Ghana today, adding that if the fibre optic infrastructure was properly harnessed, the potential for GT to be the leader in the industry could not be overemphasized. The statement said much as the party encouraged and welcomed foreign investments in the country, "we think that such deals must come clean, clear and should be in the total interest and blessings of the Ghanaian Tax payer." "We are, therefore, adding our voice to the millions of Ghanaians who have already expressed dissatisfaction with the deal and thereby call on the NPP Government to heed to the popular voices of the people of Ghana," it said.

It assured Ghanaians that should President Kufuor and his government ignore the popular demands of the people and effect the sale of GT to Vodafone, a GNP government would overturn the deal. "British Vodafone should, therefore, listen as well and back-out as early as possible," it said.

The party congratulated the minority and those in the majority group in Parliament who were opposed to the deal, individuals and organizations whose voices and loud cries had forced Parliament to suspend the consideration of the report of the parliamentary joint committee on finance and communications. It also assured the staff of GT of its maximum trust and support, adding that when GNP comes to power, it would de-politicize the operations of GT, resourced and empowered the workforce to function effectively. The statement called on the electorate to vote GNP into power in the upcoming December 2008 general elections for a better and safer Ghana.