Agyapa Deal: Akufo-Addo’s intervention too late, disappointing – CSOs

Dr Steve Manteaw, Chairman of the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas, has said the intervention of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the Agyapa Royalties agreement following the concerns raised by Civil society groups, was too late.

He said the president’s delay in addressing the concerns was disappointing.

Ghana’s legislature approved the controversial agreement on Friday, August 14 despite a protest from the Minority.

A group of CSOs led by Dr Manteaw noted that the government of Ghana and Parliament rushed in approving the agreement.

Speaking at a press conference on August 25, Dr Manteaw said: “What we are telling government is let’s slow down…let’s have more transparency, more consensus building around the approach before we go forward with the approach.

“I don’t know of any national emergency that warrants that we should rush the process to raise funds for development.”

The Special Prosecutor Martin Amidu who asked the Finance Minister to hold on with the scheduled initial Public Offer (IPO) on the deal until after his investigations, said he has concluded his investigations into the deal regarding the alleged corruption-related issues that were raised against it by civil society groups, the Minority in parliament as well as the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Accordingly, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked the Finance Minister Mr Ken Ofori-Atta to return the Agyapa Royalties agreement to Parliament.

Speaking on this development in an interview with TV3,  Dr Manteaw said “The CSOs stand vindicated because we said the deal should go back to parliament for it to be reworked on.”

“The president intervention was a bit too late and disappointing. Where was the president when we raised issues with it especially conflict of interest. We were very surprised that the president did not find it needful at the time to intervene.”