We won’t support Agyapa deal – ‘Vindicated’ minority insists

The Minority in Parliament has said they will not support modification of the Agyapa deal if the Finance Minister returns to Parliament with it.

According to the caucus, the agreement is bad for Ghana, hence should be scrapped entirely.

The Minority’s decision comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo asked the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to return the Agyapa Royalties agreement to Parliament.

The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu after investigations into the deal regarding the alleged corruption-related issues that were raised y civil society groups as well as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) concluded that the deal was “opaque”, among other descriptions.

Mr Amidu had asked the Finance Ministry to pause a scheduled Initial Public Offer (IPO) on the deal until after his investigations.

He said on Monday, November 2 that he has finished with his assessment of the transaction and has accordingly submitted his report to the president.

“The analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment was completed and signed by the Special Prosecutor on 15th October 2020.

“The Special Prosecutor in a letter with reference number OSP/SCR/20/12/20 dated 16th October 2020 conveyed the conclusions and observations of the anti-corruption assessment to H. E. the President and the Hon. Minister of Finance as a matter of courtesy before informing the public.”

“Two weeks is more than too long for this Office to continue withholding the announcement of the completion of its sixty-four (64) page report to the public. It is important that this Office has the freedom to discharge its anti-corruption mandate and keep the public informed.

“I have, therefore, decided to bring the facts of the conclusion of the anti-corruption assessment of the Agyapa Royalties Transactions by this Office to the attention of the public and to avoid the continued speculations on this matter,” he said.

But the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, speaking to the media in Accra on Tuesday, November 3 said: “Just ten of the mineral mining companies make significant contributions to our total revenue. Parliament cannot remedy the defects so identified by the Special Prosecutor.”

“How is Parliament going to cure nepotism and cronyism? How is Parliament going to cure that you painted a chief executive without due process? How is Parliament going to cure that you passed a resolution on a non-existing law?

“You don’t build a house on nothing, it was built on nothing. How is Parliament going to cure that a motion is moved, and the motion is amended at the very time it was to be adopted to make room to wait for a president to accent to a bill so passed by Parliament?” he asked.

“We feel strongly vindicated. The truth must always stand with the political minority at all times. Ghanaians will now understand why momentarily I lost my cool and temperament. For an important national matter for this character and nature, you find a minister of state trivialize it with ‘papa no’ at that time, not concerned about the weight and magnitude of this particular transaction.

“You want to take gold revenue for the next 10-15 years what does that mean to the state, what does it mean to the chiefs and people who earn a portion of the Mineral Development Fund. Government ministers were joking and reduced that transaction to a trip fall.

“But we don’t support it today, we don’t support it tomorrow. We don’t support it into the future. Parliament cannot correct any of the defined defects.”