Merchant/Fortiz Saga: NPP have no Believe in Ghanaians - NDC

Deputy National Propaganda Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Solomon Nkansah has asserted that the “Believe In Ghana” mantra promulgated by the opposition NPP in the run-up to the 2008 elections which was replicated in the 2012 general polls is nothing but a farce, considering their rumpus over Fortiz Equity Fund gaining control of the Merchant Bank.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy, Andrew Awuni has filed a suit in court against the intended sale for what he believes is a breach of procedure and a lack of transparency.

Other pressure groups have called for the dismissal of certain personalities involved in the sale of the SSNIT contributors bank (Merchant Bank), whose negligence and connivance will lead to the likely sale of the bank.

In the heat of reports of the proposed sale, President John Dramani Mahama was even accused of imploring Merchant bank to go easy on Engineers and Planners (E & P), a claim which government has strenuously denied after it became public knowledge that his brother, Ibrahim Mahama, who owns the said company, is indebted to Merchant Bank to the tune of US$38 million.

Commenting on the Merchant Bank saga, Solomon Nkansah posited on ‘Ghana Decides’ program on Okay Fm that he finds it strange to see the NPP kicking against the sale of Merchant Bank to a wholly-owned Ghanaian company, but is in rather support of a foreign company whose repatriation of profit in dollars will collapse the country’s economy.

“….if NPP really does believe in Ghanaians, they won’t kick against the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz which is a wholly Ghanaian-owned company, yet they are the same people who said in their campaign that they believe in Ghana…NPP claim they believe in Ghanaians, now action speaks louder than words; Ghanaians are going to judge them by their actions against Fortiz over the purchase of Merchant Bank…all those criticizing the sale of Merchant to Fortiz are only making noise…,” he emphasized.

To him, any prudent economic manager per the current economic situation will consider the investment abilities of business-minded people from his own country over any foreign company.