The Executive Director of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, has faulted the decision of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to dismiss the Agyapa Minerals Royalties agreement if voted into power.

Development Diaries learnt that Boakye’s response followed a threat by the flagbearer of NDC, John Mahama, that his  administration, if elected, will not respect the deal.

The ED of the African energy policy think tank added that it will rather be in the interest of the NDC administration to engage stakeholders on the new deal instead of the outright condemnation of it.

He urged the party to join some 15 civil society organisations (CSOs) calling for clarification on various concerns raised in connection with the Agyapa deal.

‘What we are trying to do is to ensure that we can mitigate risks. We also want to be heard…so our questions can be answered while recognising that some statements could make investors quite sensitive’, he said.

‘And that will affect how much you can raise and what risk premium you would have to pay for on what you are raising on the stock market’.

He said that the arrangement of the deal was a clear departure from the promises made to mining communities by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in its 2016 manifesto.

The Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Richard Ahiagbah, however, disagreed with Boakye, saying that the agreement was separate from the party’s manifesto commitment.

He said, ‘We are doing something that will give more value to Ghanaians. It is not a departure. This is a separate undertaking from what the government promised and has nothing to do with promises of the manifesto. This arrangement is a national public policy issue that we are engaging in so let us stop comparing the two’.

Speaking further, Ahiagbah accused the 15 CSOs of holding the government to ransom.

Source: My Joy Online

Photo source: Benjamin Kwanena Boakye