Revealing: Kwaku Baako on GNPC drillship palaver

Read Article

Comments (76)

This article is closed for comments.

Read Comments Comments (76)

Cambuuushoe 12 years ago

THESE GUYS NEVER LEARNED TO PARAPHRASE, SUMMARIZE THEIR THOUGHTS AS THEY WRITE? THIS ARTICLE IS TOO LONG.

THESE GUYS NEVER LEARNED TO PARAPHRASE, SUMMARIZE THEIR THOUGHTS AS THEY WRITE? THIS ARTICLE IS TOO LONG.
Kofi 12 years ago

Kwasea. He is just given the facts about the case.What is lengthy about this.

Kwasea. He is just given the facts about the case.What is lengthy about this.
GENERAL DeGAULE 12 years ago

The pertinent issues at this point in time are
1. Who was the bankers draft paid to? Was it the Government of Ghana or a named individual.
2. Was any payment made to SG and from whose account did that payment come from? If ...
read full comment

The pertinent issues at this point in time are
1. Who was the bankers draft paid to? Was it the Government of Ghana or a named individual.
2. Was any payment made to SG and from whose account did that payment come from? If the debt has not been settled, how come SG is still not pursuing this debt?
3. Was any payment made to the Ministry of Finance and what documentation is there to support this.
4. If the Government of Ghana did not put in a representation in Court, how come $1 million was paid to advisors?

If financial loss was caused to the state, it beggars belief and it is far worse a crime to defraud the state of the proceeds of the sale to defray the judgement debt.

Kweku Baako's verbose spiel skirts round the essential facts.
Apraku 12 years ago

NDC will never ever be a trustworthy party. You hear now and then stories being concorted just to tarnish the image of certain individuals to their advantage.Can someone please tell me why Tsikata was indicted for causing fin ...
read full comment

NDC will never ever be a trustworthy party. You hear now and then stories being concorted just to tarnish the image of certain individuals to their advantage.Can someone please tell me why Tsikata was indicted for causing financial loss to the state?
big Mouth 12 years ago

This is why Tsikata was indicted,mso The Kuffour,s
and the ADDDO,s can steal and put the blame on some one like Tsikata,Old thieves Die hard!!

This is why Tsikata was indicted,mso The Kuffour,s
and the ADDDO,s can steal and put the blame on some one like Tsikata,Old thieves Die hard!!
OWUSU 12 years ago

Yes you have big mouth but small brain so I forgive you for your comment

Yes you have big mouth but small brain so I forgive you for your comment
FELA O FELA: NPP BONESHAKER LA 12 years ago

VERBOSE VERBOSE VERBOSE!!!!

KWEKU BAAKU IS THE CHIEF PROPAGANDIST OF THE NPP....HE IS ON J A KUFFOUR'S PAY ROLL .......for those you may not know....

So so so.....Upon all this fancy babble and rabble rousing that ha ...
read full comment

VERBOSE VERBOSE VERBOSE!!!!

KWEKU BAAKU IS THE CHIEF PROPAGANDIST OF THE NPP....HE IS ON J A KUFFOUR'S PAY ROLL .......for those you may not know....

So so so.....Upon all this fancy babble and rabble rousing that has been written, he still hasn't finished yet...we have to still stay tuned for more?....Ewurade Yesu....we are not holding our breath....

"Please stay tuned for more exclusive analysis of the unfolding saga involving Societe Generale, GNPC and the sale of the latter`s marine assets including the D511."

THIS KWEKU BAAKU GUY IS SO FULL OF IT...
Yag 12 years ago

This article is childish. The end crowned the work. Sir John did not go to prison bcos he had a good lawyer. If NPP had engaged good lawyer, who knows we could have paid nothing .Tsatsu,s transaction was purely business in th ...
read full comment

This article is childish. The end crowned the work. Sir John did not go to prison bcos he had a good lawyer. If NPP had engaged good lawyer, who knows we could have paid nothing .Tsatsu,s transaction was purely business in the interest of the state.Another had to defend in the same maner.
AttaKofi 12 years ago

If all this facts were known then, why was Tsatsu not called at that time (when the debt was to be paid) to explain the transaction, assist in the court case, and help reduce or restructure the transaction as he had already i ...
read full comment

If all this facts were known then, why was Tsatsu not called at that time (when the debt was to be paid) to explain the transaction, assist in the court case, and help reduce or restructure the transaction as he had already initiated? Do I read from the publication that the government at that time believed the bank, SG, position instead of Tsatsu and the GNPC?
OWUSU 12 years ago

please read the article three times and comment again

please read the article three times and comment again

Moses 12 years ago

Shege, dan iska! In whose name was the cheque written and how come all the details of the sale is so murky? Government of Ghana cheque in the name of an individual for him to cash and spend and bring the balance. Kwaku is onl ...
read full comment

Shege, dan iska! In whose name was the cheque written and how come all the details of the sale is so murky? Government of Ghana cheque in the name of an individual for him to cash and spend and bring the balance. Kwaku is only wise by half like the principal actors, namely Mr Anane, J.A Kufuour,Nana Akuffo Addo and K.T Hammond. God will judge those who hide behind government cover as officials to dupe Ghana. Kweku Baako scatched the surface and left the real meat.
Moses 12 years ago

Shege, dan iska! In whose name was the cheque written and how come all the details of the sale is so murky? Government of Ghana cheque in the name of an individual for him to cash and spend and bring the balance. Kwaku is onl ...
read full comment

Shege, dan iska! In whose name was the cheque written and how come all the details of the sale is so murky? Government of Ghana cheque in the name of an individual for him to cash and spend and bring the balance. Kwaku is only wise by half like the principal actors, namely Mr Anane, J.A Kufuour,Nana Akuffo Addo and K.T Hammond. God will judge those who hide behind government cover as officials to dupe Ghana. Kweku Baako scatched the surface and left the real meat.
OWEN, NEW YORK 12 years ago

Please don't talk about lengthy when tho gospel truth is to be exposed by good citizens like Hon.Kwaku Never-Say-Die Baako Jr. The guy is good with his investigation or fact finding. Keep it up. You are the police of the Ghan ...
read full comment

Please don't talk about lengthy when tho gospel truth is to be exposed by good citizens like Hon.Kwaku Never-Say-Die Baako Jr. The guy is good with his investigation or fact finding. Keep it up. You are the police of the Ghana's economy.
NII YAOTEY ATUA, LONDON 12 years ago

RUBBISH

RUBBISH
Ben 12 years ago

You hate the truth so you will find problem with anything that will expose the truth. These are facts which are being distorted by the NDC ministers and the government as a whole. We do not want half cooked up stories only fa ...
read full comment

You hate the truth so you will find problem with anything that will expose the truth. These are facts which are being distorted by the NDC ministers and the government as a whole. We do not want half cooked up stories only facts so if it means giving 10 pages of the truth so be it. You have a choice to read or not but allow those who are interested in the truth and facts have them.
Kofi k 12 years ago

You can run but you can't hide

You can run but you can't hide
Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK 12 years ago

I felt physically sick listening to the two deputy ministers on Saturday's Newsfile trying without success to defend whatever Tsatsu Tsikata did and attempting to blame the Kufuor government, particularly Nana Akufo-Addo. Tsa ...
read full comment

I felt physically sick listening to the two deputy ministers on Saturday's Newsfile trying without success to defend whatever Tsatsu Tsikata did and attempting to blame the Kufuor government, particularly Nana Akufo-Addo. Tsatsu's decision to hedge assets that had not even been discovered was indefensible and unpardonable. I have never come across such a decision. It would made economic sense had the oil and gas been discovered. Even without this article, the first time I read that the debt was incurred as a result of Tsatsu's decision to hedge undiscovered oil and gas in Ghana, I thought he had gone insane. Yet, these two illiterates deputy ministers had the guts to defend him.

Until both NDC and NPP politicians put an end to defending each other, probity and accountability in Ghana will always be the victims. Sadly, the media that should hold these two political parties and their leaderships to account is also closely aligned to either NDC or NPP. As a result, the media undertakes its accountability role through the prism of which of the two parties it is aligned to.

There is another important issue in this saga that has not featured. That is, the market value of the ship (D511) at the time of the sale. All Ghanaians have been told was how much it was sold for but not how much it was worth.

I sincerely hope the Judgement Debt Commission will be able to unearth the mystery surrounding this judgement debt payment.
Kobena 12 years ago

Kofi,
That is a very objective analysis. I have listened to KT Hammond's interaction with Kwame Sefa Kai, and he was right because I have personal knowledge of it. The GNPC advisory group, Bassoe that had earlier evaluated t ...
read full comment

Kofi,
That is a very objective analysis. I have listened to KT Hammond's interaction with Kwame Sefa Kai, and he was right because I have personal knowledge of it. The GNPC advisory group, Bassoe that had earlier evaluated the D511 stated after the sale that they had done a survey of the sale similar/identical rigs over the previous 15 years and the best price that GNPC could have got got for that rig was $20m. Therefore the $24m that the rig was sold for was very good indeed.

They also noted that the rig market had collapsed almost immediately after the sale of the D511, and proposed ways by which they could help GNPC sell their other rigs and drilling equipment.

You are right the NDC and NPP are just taking the people of Ghana for a rough ride. It is up to us observers to call them to order, otherwise the huge loans they have been taking in the name of the people of Ghana will continue to go to waste.

How can a bank draft that was paid to the Accountant-General's Department through the Ministry of Finance, with an accompanying official letter, go missing without trace? Are we really paying such dummies to run our national affairs?
Cry the beloved country!
big Mouth 12 years ago

Kofi Ata,can you name any thing an Ashanti man has done for Ghana,but not only his pocket?Name them?

Kofi Ata,can you name any thing an Ashanti man has done for Ghana,but not only his pocket?Name them?
Yag 12 years ago

Even feeble legal mind cud defend this case.I think SG. Knew they had a bad case bcos they put their money into unknown production.It like one buying a cat in a cage.Tsatsu,s deal was not really bad.

Even feeble legal mind cud defend this case.I think SG. Knew they had a bad case bcos they put their money into unknown production.It like one buying a cat in a cage.Tsatsu,s deal was not really bad.

DKB 12 years ago

Little education is dangerous! You obviously aren't very knowledgable about hedging laws but felt obliged to also comment. If you sign a loan agreement and use any property of yours as collateral to secure that loan, once you ...
read full comment

Little education is dangerous! You obviously aren't very knowledgable about hedging laws but felt obliged to also comment. If you sign a loan agreement and use any property of yours as collateral to secure that loan, once you default on your repayment obligations a number of times, your creditor can take you to court and any court worth it's salt will give your creditor the power to dispose off the asset you used as collateral to offset the debt. GNPC defaulted and could not pay back the loan. What is there to defend?

What Tsatsu did would not happen in any developed and serious country. That was the era of PNDC turn NDC when these guys were untouchable and accountable to themselves, no one questioned their authority. What Tsatsu did should be condemned 100% or else one day someone will take a unilateral decision to sell Ghana to the highest bidder and party supporters like you without understanding the implications will urge him on, we all suffer in the end.
Pumpuni 12 years ago

Kweku Baako needs protection from the hawks of NDC.

Kweku Baako needs protection from the hawks of NDC.
Kojo! 12 years ago

Go sit down!
Alakpator!

Go sit down!
Alakpator!
Omanba 12 years ago

This is the kind of journalism that delights the fair-minded citizen and not the stomach - led kind pursued by the likes of Kwasi Pratt. Tsatsu Tsikata deserves to be in jail. He's a thief and criminally minded. Only corrupt ...
read full comment

This is the kind of journalism that delights the fair-minded citizen and not the stomach - led kind pursued by the likes of Kwasi Pratt. Tsatsu Tsikata deserves to be in jail. He's a thief and criminally minded. Only corrupt governments will entertain the likes of him. Well done, Kweku.
K. Tabi 12 years ago

How come Tsikata was talking about commencement of oil production from the Tano fields with our own rig in 1998. The K4 government just repackaged the information and sold the already discovered oil to The EO group and co a ...
read full comment

How come Tsikata was talking about commencement of oil production from the Tano fields with our own rig in 1998. The K4 government just repackaged the information and sold the already discovered oil to The EO group and co and sold the drill ship.
Fiifi Dadzi 12 years ago

CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED FROM THE HORSE'S OWN MOUTH?

CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED FROM THE HORSE'S OWN MOUTH?
Sakura 12 years ago

These guys can't read and understand. Some are complaining this is a lengthy piece! They just come here to criticize and insult people. No wonder we have leaders who don't know anything despite going through our educational s ...
read full comment

These guys can't read and understand. Some are complaining this is a lengthy piece! They just come here to criticize and insult people. No wonder we have leaders who don't know anything despite going through our educational system. Tsikata wanted to impress his lords and exposed his gross ignorance. He is guilty and a thief; this guy should not be allowed to hold any public office in Ghana.
rita 12 years ago

Nana Akufo-Addo hiding in uk and pushing kwaku baako to do their dirty works for them and also using gaby to divert the topic of D511 to economy and borrowing saga.

Nana Akufo-Addo hiding in uk and pushing kwaku baako to do their dirty works for them and also using gaby to divert the topic of D511 to economy and borrowing saga.
Fiifi Dadzi 12 years ago

STOP DOING THE MASTER'S DIRTY JOB AND LOVE GHANA FOR ONCE...EBE!!! ARE YOU A FOOL?

STOP DOING THE MASTER'S DIRTY JOB AND LOVE GHANA FOR ONCE...EBE!!! ARE YOU A FOOL?
Roy 12 years ago

Wast of peoples time. All the actors are in the country. Let them answer for themselves. we don't need this at all. Kwaku you are a joke. They pay you to talk and not to think. What you should have said is, let those involve ...
read full comment

Wast of peoples time. All the actors are in the country. Let them answer for themselves. we don't need this at all. Kwaku you are a joke. They pay you to talk and not to think. What you should have said is, let those involve talk to the issue, they are all here with us but since you are paid to talk here we go.

Fiifi Dadzi 12 years ago

DID THEY ALSO PAID TSIKATA TO WRITE WHAT HAVED BEEN PRESENTED? THIS IS A REAL REVEALATION OF THE FACTS AND YOU HAVE NOT REFUTED THEM. SO WHY ACCUSING MR BAAKO? WHY CAN'T PEOPLE LIKE YOU THINK WIDE AND BE OBJECTIVE FOR THE GOO ...
read full comment

DID THEY ALSO PAID TSIKATA TO WRITE WHAT HAVED BEEN PRESENTED? THIS IS A REAL REVEALATION OF THE FACTS AND YOU HAVE NOT REFUTED THEM. SO WHY ACCUSING MR BAAKO? WHY CAN'T PEOPLE LIKE YOU THINK WIDE AND BE OBJECTIVE FOR THE GOOD OF OUR NATION GHANA?
Fiifi Dadzi 12 years ago

THEY ARE DEADLY!!! AVOID THEM.

THEY ARE DEADLY!!! AVOID THEM.
Real talk 12 years ago

Listen to this COCK SUCKER. Unfortunately Ghana's journalism has stoop so low any IDIOT can get an attention.

Listen to this COCK SUCKER. Unfortunately Ghana's journalism has stoop so low any IDIOT can get an attention.
Yaw Hola 12 years ago

This article falls short of the main points being raised by the NDC communicators, the Attorney General withdrew the foreign lawyers for the AG's department to continue with the case but they (AG's Dept)did not make any repre ...
read full comment

This article falls short of the main points being raised by the NDC communicators, the Attorney General withdrew the foreign lawyers for the AG's department to continue with the case but they (AG's Dept)did not make any representations resulting in the judgment debt that Societe General
Moses 12 years ago

Whatever thecase may be Kweku could have given the details of how the ship was sold and for the avoidance of doubt produce evience as he has done on all correspondence leading to the sale. The sale was done in the most opaque ...
read full comment

Whatever thecase may be Kweku could have given the details of how the ship was sold and for the avoidance of doubt produce evience as he has done on all correspondence leading to the sale. The sale was done in the most opaque manner with no accountability. The fact is that NPP will use any excuse to steal but their own action will always boomerang. After selling the ship the man started disbursing the money as if it were his father's property. Why are African politicians so greedy they hide behind legitimate transactions as avenue to defraud the state?
Dallas 12 years ago

Kwaku went round in circles with out touching on the essential issues. Where is money? I challenge Kwaku to dig for the truth in this matter if indeed he's not an npp apology of a journalist. Otherwise, how come he is able to ...
read full comment

Kwaku went round in circles with out touching on the essential issues. Where is money? I challenge Kwaku to dig for the truth in this matter if indeed he's not an npp apology of a journalist. Otherwise, how come he is able to get Tsatstu's secret memoirs on the drill ship D511 but is unable to produce documents covering the the sale of the ship and how he money was used. Who authorized the sale of the ship? How was the remaining $ 3.5 used? He should answer these essential questions and stop beating about the bush.
Ghanaba 12 years ago

Revealing indeed. So Kweku Baako has just told us that two other GNPC assets were sold. Please the authorities should investigate the records of GNPC so that we know how many more assets and how much they sold these, and wher ...
read full comment

Revealing indeed. So Kweku Baako has just told us that two other GNPC assets were sold. Please the authorities should investigate the records of GNPC so that we know how many more assets and how much they sold these, and where the monies went. If we were selling just to pay a debt of $19.5m what were they selling the other assets for? For chop-chop. Oman Ghana!
Ghanaba 12 years ago

Revealing indeed. So Kweku Baako has just told us that two other GNPC assets were sold. Please the authorities should investigate the records of GNPC so that we know how many more assets and how much they sold these, and wher ...
read full comment

Revealing indeed. So Kweku Baako has just told us that two other GNPC assets were sold. Please the authorities should investigate the records of GNPC so that we know how many more assets and how much they sold these, and where the monies went. If we were selling just to pay a debt of $19.5m what were they selling the other assets for? For chop-chop. Oman Ghana!
Dan 12 years ago

Pls,We are not small boys.In the first place where did get those secret conversations,why kwaku refuse to talk about the sale,and lastly why alwas want to defend the NPP when there is a problem,instead of the wellbeing of Gha ...
read full comment

Pls,We are not small boys.In the first place where did get those secret conversations,why kwaku refuse to talk about the sale,and lastly why alwas want to defend the NPP when there is a problem,instead of the wellbeing of Ghanaians.Ihope very soon he will change his region again to Hindo.
WEED NANA AKUFFO-ADDO 12 years ago

IT IS VERY DISTURBING WHEN KWAKU BAAKO WRITES OR SPEAKS THIS IS A MAN WHO CLAIMS TO BE DEMOCRATE OR PATROITIC.NOW HERE IS A CORRUPT CASE CONCERNING NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INSTEAD OF HE KWAKU FOOL BAAKO SPEAKS TO THE ISSUE H ...
read full comment

IT IS VERY DISTURBING WHEN KWAKU BAAKO WRITES OR SPEAKS THIS IS A MAN WHO CLAIMS TO BE DEMOCRATE OR PATROITIC.NOW HERE IS A CORRUPT CASE CONCERNING NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INSTEAD OF HE KWAKU FOOL BAAKO SPEAKS TO THE ISSUE HE IS RATHER DEFENDING HIS WEED COCAIN DRUG ADDICT MASTER NANA ADDO.OH KWAKU IMPOTENT GJIMI GJIMI BAAKO FOR ONCE TRY TO BEHAVE LIKE A PATRIOTIC GHANAIAN AND STOP THIS KIND OF ALWAYS DEFENDING FOOLISHLY OK .A WORD TO A WISE IS ENOUGH BYE KWASIA KWAKU
brick city man 12 years ago

kweku, your piece shows how hard Mr. Tsikata worked for the oil discovery.
kweku, pls do some primary research in
oil discovery business and the risk involved. thank God Mr. Tsikata's hard and RISKY WORK PRODUCE OIL 16 YEAR ...
read full comment

kweku, your piece shows how hard Mr. Tsikata worked for the oil discovery.
kweku, pls do some primary research in
oil discovery business and the risk involved. thank God Mr. Tsikata's hard and RISKY WORK PRODUCE OIL 16 YEARS LATER. I think others in big positions should learn something BIG AND BOLD FROM Mr. Tsikata. my personal respect for him is off the roof. I SALUTE YOU Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata.
GHANA AND THE REST OF WEST AFRICA WOULD NOT BE ENJOYING OIL TODAY , IF PEOPLE LIKE RAWLINGS AND TSATSU HAD NOT MADE THE BIG AND RISKY BET(OPTIONS) . BOLD AND RISKY PLANS ALWAYS COME INTO FRUITION AT A COST. KWEKU MY NO.1 MAN ON NEWSFILE INTERROGATE THE OIL DISCOVERY BUSINESS FOR ME. BRING ALL THE FACTS ON SUCCESS AND FAILURES IN THE RISKY OIL BUSINESS.
Baba 12 years ago

So confusing, the sale of the drill ship, was it by a decision of the court-court ruling as purported by KT and the others, or by a committee report and subsequent memo by Kan Dapaah, as Kweku is all edging.
Who was the ...
read full comment

So confusing, the sale of the drill ship, was it by a decision of the court-court ruling as purported by KT and the others, or by a committee report and subsequent memo by Kan Dapaah, as Kweku is all edging.
Who was the Attorney General at that time? what was his input in the whole saga. Kweku, since you can deal with document. kindly provide memo any single memo (no faking) that showed that the then AG provided a sound advise.
Trying to rope in Tsatsu may not wash with those of us who are discerning readers.
Frimpong Manso Dakabre 12 years ago

Kwaku u dey papa. where do you get all this facts? you are just too much.

Kwaku u dey papa. where do you get all this facts? you are just too much.
TETTEH NARTEH 12 years ago

Kwaku Baaku,you have been paid to muddy
the waters with this nonsense lengthy trash.

Kwaku Baaku,you have been paid to muddy
the waters with this nonsense lengthy trash.
mohammed 12 years ago

14.6 and 12 million rental revenue yearly are not the same. and you pointed out that it was the drill ship that was "The D511 drillship is about the only exception; which has earned the Corporation US$14.6 million". if it was ...
read full comment

14.6 and 12 million rental revenue yearly are not the same. and you pointed out that it was the drill ship that was "The D511 drillship is about the only exception; which has earned the Corporation US$14.6 million". if it was lucrative why was it being sold out? why did you not touch on the earlier losses of the cases sent to USA Courts? It is a shame that you agreed the nature of the sale posted by K. T Hammond is believable and does not smell's corruption. come back on that. Tsatsu did his best and there is no solid evidence that he profited from his action. Can you prove that?
mohammed 12 years ago

Tsatsu Never benefited directly or indirectly from his action. show us how his zeal to help the country that was latter packed and sold by the kuffour government should be blamed on the Cadre.

Tsatsu Never benefited directly or indirectly from his action. show us how his zeal to help the country that was latter packed and sold by the kuffour government should be blamed on the Cadre.
CINNAKA 12 years ago

MUHAMMED, OR WHOEVER YOU ARE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE VERY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, YOU OBVIOUSLY CANNOT COMPREHEND KWEKU'S ARTICLE. SIMPLY, THIS IS A SELF REVEALING STORY OF HOW TSATSU GAMBLED WITH GNPC WITHOU ...
read full comment

MUHAMMED, OR WHOEVER YOU ARE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE VERY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, YOU OBVIOUSLY CANNOT COMPREHEND KWEKU'S ARTICLE. SIMPLY, THIS IS A SELF REVEALING STORY OF HOW TSATSU GAMBLED WITH GNPC WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE BOARD. IT WAS KUFUOR WHO CAME AND SAID TO THE BOARD, "I WANT OIL, LEAVE EVERYTHING AND FIND ME OIL!" AND THERE WAS OIL. AND WHEN HE PARDONED TSATSU, THE CRIMINAL WAS LET GO AND HE CAME AND GOT HIMSELF IN ANOTHER MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DEAL, THAT TSATSU.
Kweku 12 years ago

Kweku Baako. Be sincere and you known from you heart and mind you did not not even authored this piece. Just as you are coach to talk.eeeeem

Kweku Baako. Be sincere and you known from you heart and mind you did not not even authored this piece. Just as you are coach to talk.eeeeem
Kwadwo Awuah Adusei 12 years ago

Mr Baako, long live . I admire your presentation You almost always present facts and figures to support your submissions.There are a lot of people who make arguments without facts but yours is always pregnant with facts. Kudo ...
read full comment

Mr Baako, long live . I admire your presentation You almost always present facts and figures to support your submissions.There are a lot of people who make arguments without facts but yours is always pregnant with facts. Kudos.
Nusex A 12 years ago

The facts you placed in the public domain were very good and educative. My surprise is why the people that government litigated with, with Akuffo Addo occupying a prime position at the time would turn round and buy Akuffu-Add ...
read full comment

The facts you placed in the public domain were very good and educative. My surprise is why the people that government litigated with, with Akuffo Addo occupying a prime position at the time would turn round and buy Akuffu-Addo's father's property and build an office complex built on. You did not smell any rat. I can tell you that Akuffo Addo benefited from that sale, which resulted in the building being placed on that land. I may be wrong, but is that how our Politial Leaders should be behaving. So you people did not see anyting wrong with the price of oil dropping and the operations in the country at the time. Our leaders are novices indeed. I know you would not and cannot decipher where I am coming from, but God should help us, third world countries.
sgt ahmed 12 years ago

the former npp government made so many mistakes by allowing this school drop out to have access to our state classified documents and could be seen boasting of having documents on this or that issue. sometimes I feel sorry fo ...
read full comment

the former npp government made so many mistakes by allowing this school drop out to have access to our state classified documents and could be seen boasting of having documents on this or that issue. sometimes I feel sorry for my dear country because of what this up/npp tradition had done to retrogress the development of our country. they are only specialists in destroying the forward march of the country and also killing the spirit of the country. in their quest to destroy the country they have characters like kweku baako and others willing to give them supporting hands. why cant the police and other security agencies storm this traitor of a Ghanaian and retrieve state classified documents he has in his possession? the npp government before leaving the scene in 2009, were reported to have shredded a lot of vital and classified documents covering government businesses but this nation traitor kweku baako has most of those shredded documents,
DKB 12 years ago

Have you lost your mind? Are some of you so full of hatred that you can't even use your brains to think?

Do you use the NHIS? You call a Govt that provided it's citizens with NHIS, NYEP now called GYEEDA, SADA, Bui Dam, S ...
read full comment

Have you lost your mind? Are some of you so full of hatred that you can't even use your brains to think?

Do you use the NHIS? You call a Govt that provided it's citizens with NHIS, NYEP now called GYEEDA, SADA, Bui Dam, School Feeding program, Metro Mass buses and Free maternity health care just to mention a few, you call such social interventions a distruction of a country and killing of the spirit of a country? Have you been drinking or taking drugs? No one with a stable mind will make such a foolish comment as yours. Name one policy or project that the party you support has put in place for Ghanaians over the past 5 years. You obviously don't love Ghana but rather a political party. When you have people making such stupid comments like yours why won't the politicans play around the freedon of information bill, not pass it and still get away with it. You are mad!!
Nusex A 12 years ago

Why on earth would a government official ended a negotiated deal with a company thereafter turn round and sell his fathers property(land) to the same company for the company to build on. Ghanaians, read between the lines. N ...
read full comment

Why on earth would a government official ended a negotiated deal with a company thereafter turn round and sell his fathers property(land) to the same company for the company to build on. Ghanaians, read between the lines. Nana Akuffo Addo's benefit from the drill ship sale is the ediface being constructed by Societe Generale on his fathers land, opposite Bus Stop on the Ring Road. These people think we have cotton wool in our heads.
Mugu Yaro 12 years ago

This frustrated bullshit at it again with his illogical articles.
Are you now a spokesperson for nana Addo?
Why not allow him to come out of his rat hole and speak to the issue himself?
Do you know that it's bcos of this d ...
read full comment

This frustrated bullshit at it again with his illogical articles.
Are you now a spokesperson for nana Addo?
Why not allow him to come out of his rat hole and speak to the issue himself?
Do you know that it's bcos of this drillship D511 saga that he runaway from Ghana to UK thinking we will leave this matter in the mud?
Hehehehe he can choose to run to IRAQ, we will still chase him and his siblings anytime, anywhere and anyhow.
NON-ALIGNED 12 years ago

All this garbage that exists in our Ghana today.......is all in the name of democracy??????

The shuffling of the two MOST USELESS parties every four years......is that what democracy is about????

With our so-called lea ...
read full comment

All this garbage that exists in our Ghana today.......is all in the name of democracy??????

The shuffling of the two MOST USELESS parties every four years......is that what democracy is about????

With our so-called leaders and politicians selling the entire nation off to their slave masters they collaborate with so effectively, by means of judgement debts, signing cheap deals of our rich natural resources, corruption, selling state assets under the guise of globalization etc. etc.

All this being remotely controlled by their collaborators - the IMF and the World Bank.......that sings praises of our economy, whilst a large populace of our citizens live in ABJECT POVERTY?

Is that what democracy is all about?

Then I prefer the so-called dictatorship and one-party state that the FOUNDER of our nation cleverly structured for the benefit of our dear nation..............................
His policies and monumental developments which benefited and is still the good of most of the members of the two useless parties, are second to none. Not forgetting the free school feeding programmes, free education and free health care......which most of them enjoyed and even used as campaign mantras.....

Oh! Osagyefo! They overthrew you to embrace this GARBAGE we are facing now??????? OH! GHANA? When are we ever going to learn?....................
These two vision-less, useless, inefficient, selfish, arrogant and greedy parties have NOTHING! And I mean NOTHING! to offer Ghanaians. Don't we get it?

Both parties deliberately enriched themselves with all this rubbish coming out of judgement debts and continue to blame each other till the whole saga vanishes into the usual thin air..........Oh! Ghanaians! WAKE UP!!!!!!!!
NKRUMAH NEVER DIES!!!!!

GOD BLESS GHANA!
AFRICAN FOREVER!
Nii Okai 12 years ago

What a good lenghty analysis, that never cause doubts of the facts it carries? In reality there is reasonable facts in the lenghty stuff provided, which needs to be taken into consideration when we really have in our hearts t ...
read full comment

What a good lenghty analysis, that never cause doubts of the facts it carries? In reality there is reasonable facts in the lenghty stuff provided, which needs to be taken into consideration when we really have in our hearts the welfare of our nation.

From reading of things Tsikata never had negative mind in all the steps he took while with the GNPC. What is at stake is did Akufo Addo chase the case or he abandoned it? More could be learned from his reaction towards the case. Akuf Addo was the Attorney general, so the question a rational nationalist will ask is did he also make sure good negotiation is made after coming into office to make sure we pay the $12 with the installment strategy WITH CERTAIN CLARIFICATIONS even though the French company demanded $20 million.

Akufo Addo took over the case as he promised but did he go into details to have a clear understanding of what those THE CERTAIN CLARIFICATIONS they stated Tsikata talked about, because this a national matter which put the nation at stake. I have the understanding that if it were a case of the Akufo Addo family he would put in every efforts to make sure the case is won or a good and favorable aggreement is reached.

These guys are not patriotic. I call them selfish people who have smartly entered into politics just to enrich themselves without caring for Ghana. It is certain that they care for their personal properties than that of our loving nation Ghana. At this point we all should know of the reaction of Akufo Addo at where the negotiation of $12 million with ''certain clarification'' ended. Here Akufo Addo will have more to answer if he failed to continue the case.

What the Ghanaian public will be interested in now is the disbursement of the $3.5million that was left in the hands of Kufour's right hand man in secrect K T Hammond who stands bold to carry out every dubious deal for Kufour. Why were documents pertaining to the sale of this drill ship and payments made to SG could not be traced even in France where records are kept in this present world of technology?

The reality is the SG officials in Ghana were bribed to make sure documents in their custody both in Ghana and France were destroyed so that traces leading to the retaining of the real facts of the case could not be in hand for a case against them, the NPP. The real problem of the drill ship we are all crying about is the whereabout of the balance of 3.5 million dollars?.
G. K. Berko 12 years ago

Why doesn't Kweku Baako let Akufo-Addo speak for himself? If any part of this saga transpired during Akufo-Addo's tenure as the Attorney-General, he ought to have known something about the case or given some legal advice as ...
read full comment

Why doesn't Kweku Baako let Akufo-Addo speak for himself? If any part of this saga transpired during Akufo-Addo's tenure as the Attorney-General, he ought to have known something about the case or given some legal advice as to how to handle it.

So, instead of Malik snatching this issue as one of his investigative tutorials, or some journalistic fodder to feed on to sell his Paper, why can't he let the Special Investigator and sole Commissioner, assigned to the case, do his job to dig out the details and any legal responsibilities involved?

Mr. Baako is wont to tap into the sensational aspects of the case, and, possibly, harp on the side that conveniently suits his own political interests, even if there is no financial benefit he derives from it.

Ghanaians need to know where the payment went and who made it and under what legal justification. The sole Commissioner is supposed to establish all that. Whatever political framework within which the payment was authorized and made will all be revealed with greater credibility by the commissioner.

If Mr. Baako wants to simply defend Akufo-Addo he must wait for the legal exposures to be made first. He is no Lawyer neither are the duo NDC Deputy Ministers and all have to back off for the Commissioner to make his findings.

This programming of public minds to exonerate anyone before the findings complete is detrimental to seeking the real truth in how our leaders handle our financial issues and National Assets.

Long Live Ghana!!!
Nyansafo 12 years ago

If NDC had inherited a debt of 47 million dollars, can you imagine how much our settlement debt would have been? Between Betty Mould, Barton Oduro and Okujeto Ablakwa, your guess is as good as mine. NDC Just Shut up

If NDC had inherited a debt of 47 million dollars, can you imagine how much our settlement debt would have been? Between Betty Mould, Barton Oduro and Okujeto Ablakwa, your guess is as good as mine. NDC Just Shut up
GHANABA 12 years ago

Kweku show us the cheque or cash from the sale, that's all we want.

Kweku show us the cheque or cash from the sale, that's all we want.
hmmmmmm 12 years ago

that's our kwaku of hairdressing saloon man at it again.

that's our kwaku of hairdressing saloon man at it again.
Abeeku Mensah 12 years ago

Kwaku Baako and any other idiot who is apt to look the other way as political parties in power of government resort to tactics not authorized and or vested in any office of the executive, legislators and or judiciary to sell ...
read full comment

Kwaku Baako and any other idiot who is apt to look the other way as political parties in power of government resort to tactics not authorized and or vested in any office of the executive, legislators and or judiciary to sell off assets and or collect money on behalf of Ghana will not wash this time around.
If the loss of money is placed squarely on the shoulders of Tsatsu Tsikata while at the helm of GNPC that is alright by me. What is not and cannot be accepted is the fact that on one hand the Kufour administration feels it was economically sound to sell Discoverer 511 and Ghana Telecom because those entities were operationally inefficient and losing money but cannot ascribe the same fate to Ghana's executive and legislative branches. When has Ghana's parliament been run effectively, efficiently and or when has it broken even if the annual salaries and benefits of legislators were matched against their work products?
Why did the Kufour administration become a beggar government? Most nations who held our debts forgave us while Ghana signed on to be placed under international economic diet under Kufour era Would this be the acts of a sovereign nation or that of a puppet nation? The issue with the sale of Discoverer 511 is not if the sale was needed but how to account for the proceeds realized from the sale. Pretending that rehashing the issues of the bankrupted GNPC is going to take us to who has what portion of the sales proceeds is delusional as usual. We have had a Kufour fanatic wing in Ghana who are either ignorant of facts or too stupid to come to grips that Kufour came to office not as a filthy rich man but left office after 8 years a filthy rich man while his men of white color criminals made off like the bandits they are.
ADU - BOGYA 12 years ago

SO AFTER ALL THIS LENGTHY EXPLANATION WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS REALISED FRM THE SALE OF THE SHIP LAWYER KWAKU BAAKO?that is the most important thing poeple want to know.please come again

SO AFTER ALL THIS LENGTHY EXPLANATION WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS REALISED FRM THE SALE OF THE SHIP LAWYER KWAKU BAAKO?that is the most important thing poeple want to know.please come again
Dagadoo Wayo Die 12 years ago

They stated, liability incurred by the State-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation(GNPC) following the latter`s ill-fated and poorly crafted "hedging dealings" with the French Bank, Societe Generale in the 1990s." What t ...
read full comment

They stated, liability incurred by the State-owned Ghana National Petroleum Corporation(GNPC) following the latter`s ill-fated and poorly crafted "hedging dealings" with the French Bank, Societe Generale in the 1990s." What type of hedging? Was it a collateral against D511? Then, what was the cash taken for? Which Gov personnel authorized such hedging?
Show as the copies of the issued cheques.
Kofi Abrantie 12 years ago

This is a bunch of nonsense. You fools should be grateful for all the work Mr. Tsikata did for oil discovery in GH. He never personally benefited from these transactions from all accounts so far. The question that kwaku kwase ...
read full comment

This is a bunch of nonsense. You fools should be grateful for all the work Mr. Tsikata did for oil discovery in GH. He never personally benefited from these transactions from all accounts so far. The question that kwaku kwasea baako should be asking is who was the check from the sale of the drill ship made out to and where is the balance? Period!
DKB 12 years ago

What work did Mr Tsikata do? Where was the drill ship when it was seized? Was it drilling for oil in Ghana or had it been rented out for others to use? Some of you will even refuse to believe the truth no matter how glaring i ...
read full comment

What work did Mr Tsikata do? Where was the drill ship when it was seized? Was it drilling for oil in Ghana or had it been rented out for others to use? Some of you will even refuse to believe the truth no matter how glaring it is in your faces.
Then you have these two incompetent waste of tax payers money called minsters sitting on newsfile doing equalisation with this issue. These same people who defended the Osofoton and other judgement debts which now the courts have asked the entities to refund have started their propaganda nonsense again. Yet you have intellegent Ghanaians supporting them for political purposes.

Listen, i'm no NPP member but like their social intervention policies and economic policies which saw this country slowly moving from lower income to middle income status, love them or hate them but NPP have far better competent people than this bunch of NDC 1st degree holders who are paid to talk rather than think. The sh*t continues, we all dey inside!
Ganyo 12 years ago

Kweku, Who wrote this piece under your name?

Kweku, Who wrote this piece under your name?
Dzato 12 years ago

I am sure Mr. Baako’s got the investigation report from his NPP folks. I am also sure Kwaku Baako asked his pay masters about the document covering the sale and whose name the cheque was written but conveniently omitted the ...
read full comment

I am sure Mr. Baako’s got the investigation report from his NPP folks. I am also sure Kwaku Baako asked his pay masters about the document covering the sale and whose name the cheque was written but conveniently omitted the answers he got from the report. May I suggest that the answers did not support his motive hence its omission.
Kwaku Baako wrote “The D511 drillship is about the only exception; which has earned the Corporation US$14.6 million”. Question: If the D511 is one asset which has been making some money for the corporation why not try to save it. It is obvious the D511 is capable of working and pay off the debt through rentals based on all information provided so far. Government could have just sold other assets that were not making any revenue and add the proceeds to that of rentals revenue from the drill ship to pay off the loan. Look like NPP was so much eager to malign Tsikata therefore must do everything to accomplish that. Readers note that it is NPP’s K.T. Hammond who came out and mentioned Tsikata by name and accused him of been incompetent when asked about the sale of the drill ship. It is only after K.T. Hammond’s comment that Tsatsu’s 2001 press conference was republished to set the record straight.
okukuseku 12 years ago

The 'stomach'jounalists are more dangerous than the politicians they are bed with. Time will Tell.

The 'stomach'jounalists are more dangerous than the politicians they are bed with. Time will Tell.
SANTROFIE 12 years ago

MR ABDULMALIK YOU HAVE DODGED THE ISSUE. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT TSATSU INCURRED THE DEBT TO SOCIETE-GENERAL THROUGH HIS HEDGING ON BEHALF OF NNPC. MR KUFUOR AS A LAWYER KNOWS THAT ONE DOES NOT ABANDON A COURT CASE JUST B ...
read full comment

MR ABDULMALIK YOU HAVE DODGED THE ISSUE. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT TSATSU INCURRED THE DEBT TO SOCIETE-GENERAL THROUGH HIS HEDGING ON BEHALF OF NNPC. MR KUFUOR AS A LAWYER KNOWS THAT ONE DOES NOT ABANDON A COURT CASE JUST BECAUSE HE HAD DECIDED TO PURSUE AN OUT OF COURT SETTLEMENT; HE CONTINUES WITH THE CASE UNTIL THE COURT ADOPTS THE OUT OF COURT SETTLEMENT? NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN WHILE THE CASE WAS ONGOING NOT AFTER DEFAULT JUDGMENT HAD BEEN GIVEN. ALL YOUR LONG GRAMMAR STILL LEAVES AKUFO-ADDO SQUARELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEFAULT JUDGMENT. IT WAS HIS WITHDRAWAL OF THE NNPC'S EXTERNAL SOLICITORS AND HIS A-G'S DEPT'S FAILURE TO PURSUE THE CASE AFTER FIRING THE EXTERNAL SOLICITORS THAT LED TO THE JUDGMENT IN FAVOUR OF SOCIETE-GENERAL. SIMPLICITA. PLS COME AGAIN: DID AKUFO-ADDO WITHDRAW NNPC'S EXTERNAL LAWYERS OR NOT? THAT IS THE CRUX OF THE MATTER. IF HE HADNT PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE AND HAD NEGOTIATED WHILE AT THE SAME TIME STOUTLY DEFENDING THE CASE ANY AWARD THAT SOCIETE-GENERAL GOT WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID THROUGH INSTALMENTS FROM THE INCOME THAT D511 WAS MAKING AND NOT THROUGH OUTRIGHT SALE OF THE SHIP ITSELF. NPP FORGETS THAT THEY ARE NOT DEALING WITH THEIR DAZED FOOTSOLDIERS BUT WITH THINKING FLOATING VOTERS WHO CAREFULLY SIFT THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF. FOR NOW NDC IS WINNING THE ARGUMENT; YES THEY INCURRED THE DEBT, BUT IT NEED NOT HAVE BEEN PAID THROUGH SALE OF AN INCOME-GENERATING CORPORATE PROPERTY. BALL IS STILL IN NPP'S COURT!!!!
Kweku Tawiah 12 years ago

Income generating corporate property that could not stop the GNPC's debt to Societe Generale from climbing from $40 m in 1998 to $47m in 2001? And JAK was supposed to indulge in a protracted litigation while interest continue ...
read full comment

Income generating corporate property that could not stop the GNPC's debt to Societe Generale from climbing from $40 m in 1998 to $47m in 2001? And JAK was supposed to indulge in a protracted litigation while interest continued to accumulate? Why hedge with a resource you don't produce? What is more reckless than that? In any case, what was the guarantee that Tsatsu's settlement negotiations which had been on-going for about a year was going to bear fruits after many defaults on his part? Read Baako's article carefully and get his drift. It nails Tsatsu squarely !
OKOFO 12 years ago

All these long talk have not answered the question of the documents covering the payment of $19.5m to SG, $3.5m to Ministry of Finance and $1m for legal fees. Mr Documents all what Ghanaians are asking is where are the docume ...
read full comment

All these long talk have not answered the question of the documents covering the payment of $19.5m to SG, $3.5m to Ministry of Finance and $1m for legal fees. Mr Documents all what Ghanaians are asking is where are the documents? So Kwaku Baako come again and stop attacking Tsatsu because he didn't sell the ship.
FRANK 12 years ago

TSATSU TSIKATA IS A CLEVER THIEF

TSATSU TSIKATA IS A CLEVER THIEF
F.K. Boakye; Canada 12 years ago

Fantastic investigative journalism!!

Kudos to you, Malik Kweku Baako!!!

I have always maintained that the ARROGANT Tsatsu Tsikata, a MR. KNOW-IT-ALL person is the one responsible for the Drill Ship Fiasco and Not Presid ...
read full comment

Fantastic investigative journalism!!

Kudos to you, Malik Kweku Baako!!!

I have always maintained that the ARROGANT Tsatsu Tsikata, a MR. KNOW-IT-ALL person is the one responsible for the Drill Ship Fiasco and Not President Kufuor or any of his Ministers.

Tsikata is now lying that he is not responsible for the sale of the Drill ship. I pity idiotic imbeciles like Kobi Acheampong - the "Mpoano gyimi-gyimi" guy and his cohort, the Ugly-looking Okudzetu Ablakwa who are doing everything to blame Akufo-Addo for the sale of the Drill ship.

Who caused the problem for NPP to inherit? If anything at all, the Ghanaian populace should commend President J.A. Kufuor and his government for their timely intervention of the mounting debt to the French Societe Generale
Solja 12 years ago

lengthy piece? kwaku baako has been a so called and self acclaimed seasoned journalist for how many years?
i dont know if its only me,i couldnt find a single piece of information or opinion or advice he ever gave that wasnt ...
read full comment

lengthy piece? kwaku baako has been a so called and self acclaimed seasoned journalist for how many years?
i dont know if its only me,i couldnt find a single piece of information or opinion or advice he ever gave that wasnt skewed.

right there in the first paragraph its there.mr information man got it sorted out already.he only seems to dig up dirt on ndc though.he himself belongs to a faction as well,which isnt the n.a. camp.he's the type of people asabee and others are talking about.

whether its an attempt by ndc o or by npp,let this thing play out all by itself.
your writing clearly shows you knew about this earlier than most of us,if not more.this is the first time for some of us and ghana unlike hollywood cant inform the public of such things through a single village movie.

make we follow proceedings and stop flipping through that pile of blank sheets.
you go blind oo..aaa.did i mention only the first paragraph did it for me?bad writer whc cant even get all his readers past a few lines.
Nusex A 12 years ago

Akufo Addo's benefit from tyhe drill ship sale is the building being constructed by Societe Generale on his fathers land for him. These people things we have cotton wool in our heads.

Akufo Addo's benefit from tyhe drill ship sale is the building being constructed by Societe Generale on his fathers land for him. These people things we have cotton wool in our heads.
Solja 12 years ago

now i've read it twice.so where the cheque and who den pay the money to den why the french,who have kept napoleon's left shoe for decades,soon no dey fe locate our money?tsatsu was indicted for causing financial loss to the s ...
read full comment

now i've read it twice.so where the cheque and who den pay the money to den why the french,who have kept napoleon's left shoe for decades,soon no dey fe locate our money?tsatsu was indicted for causing financial loss to the state,by none other than akuffo addo,in this same gnpc tin they couldnt do and thing with him.preprah did time with his vice,selormey,who thanks to y'all npp guys,left his family cos of doing or not doing what you people have done.

weitin about these people again now kwaku?what the hell at all about these people again?you no get any conscience sha?

kwaku,why shouldnt nana addo's name come up when this money issue come up?the french cant find the papers,mr hammond cant remember who he give the balance to,and worse of all,with he being so blessed with God as his personal barber,he cant remember who told him to sell the thing.

fire bon you allllll...alllllll..all you national coffer emptiers and your houseboys.

76 Comments

Welcome,

SIGN IN

Welcome,

RESET PASSWORD

Hello,

Terms and conditions

REGISTER

Revealing: Kwaku Baako on GNPC drillship palaver

Read Comments .st0{display:none;fill:#14BDD3;} .st1{display:none;} .st2{display:inline;fill:#FC0F0F;} .st3{display:inline;fill:#FFFFFF;} .st4{display:inline;fill:none;stroke:#000000;stroke-width:6;stroke-miterlimit:10;} Comments (76)

Read Comments Comments (76)