General News of Tuesday, 3 November 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Amidu’s report on Agyapa a shame on government and majority in parliament – Inusah Fuseini

Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini

NDC MP for Tamale Central, Inusah Abdulai Bistav Fuseini has described as an indictment of shame on the government of Nana Akufo-Addo and the current majority in parliament, the corruption risk assessment report conducted by the Office of the Special Prosecutor on the controversial Agyapa Deal.

Mr Martin Amidu, in his 67-page corruption and anti-corruption risk assessment report of the gold royalty agreement submitted to the president, described the deal as susceptible to “nepotism, cronyism and favouritism.”

Additionally, he said the deal lacked probity and accountability.

Reacting to the report, Inusah Fuseini who is a member of the minority in parliament said the minority had a lot of unanswered questions with the deal which he said was rushed through the house by the majority without a consensus of the house.

Martin Amidu’s report shames government and at the same time shames the majority in parliament. The reason why I am saying that is on August 13, 2020, the Finance Minister presented four documents to parliament on the Agyapa deal. The minority raised a lot of unanswered questions on the documents. The Minority called for the provision of extra documents too. But we were not given,” he said in an interview with Okay Fm on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.

Mr Inusah Fuseini said among other things the minority requested a procurement documentation by the Public Procurement Authority on the transaction advisor used in the deal in accordance with the law which the Finance Minister failed to do.

“Again, we were told IMARA, a South African Company was recruited as transaction advisors. The company is not a Ghanaian company so entering into a contract with such a company makes it an international contract because we will have to pay them. Why didn’t he (Finance Minister) bring the agreement to Parliament?” he questioned.

The Minority in Parliament has openly campaigned against the Agyapa Gold Royalties deal citing among other things the lack of transparency in the agreement.

President Akufo-Addo on receipt of the Special Prosecutor’s report has directed the Finance Minister to resubmit the deal to parliament for rectifications to be made to the deal.