Energy Expert and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby, has ascribed Ghana’s looming judgement debt to what he avers to be “undue haste to jettison predecessor’s deeds.”
According to Dr. Wereko-Brobby, the rush to bring to nought or discard achievements or progress by preceding governments, regardless of the legal implications is a major cause of the 'wasteful and exorbitant' judgement debts.
The energy expert and former member of the governing New Patriotic Party without citing any particular individual or party took to his Facebook wall to lament about the judgement debt the country has been saddled with.
“D undue haste to jettison their predecessor’s deeds never mind legally-binding obligations, is d root cause of d wasteful & exorbitant judgement debts...,” Dr Wereko-Brobby wrote as sighted by GhanaWeb.
"#Govtisacontinum," he added.
The former VRA CEO's comments come at a time Ghana has been slapped with a $134 million judgement debt over the cancellation of an Emergency Power Agreement with the Chinese company GCGP Limited.
In its ruling, the International Court of Arbitration also indicated that the country would have to make a $30 million interest payment in addition.
Ghana’s energy contract with GCGP Limited was abrogated during the tenure of former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko after it was signed in 2015 by the Mahama administration.
Again, management of the Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited has dragged Ghana to the London court of international arbitration over abrogation of contract between the two parties.
Ghana contracted Beijing Everyway Traffic and Lighting Technology Company Limited in 2018 to implement an Accra Intelligent Traffic Management project worth $100 million after Parliament’s approval.
The contract was later re-laid before Parliament in November 2020, this time around between Ghana, Huawei Technologies Company Limited and the China National Import and Export Corporation.
There has been a general backlash from the public and other stakeholders over the gross sum the country may end up paying as judgement debt.