The Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, Japhet Aryiku, has responded to allegations that the Ghanaian government had sold or leased the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre to the foundation for 50 years.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, made the allegations, criticising the NPP government for reportedly transferring control of the center to a newly-formed private foundation with no prior experience, under a long term agreement, citinewsroom.com indicated.

Japhet Aryiku refuted the claims during an interview on on August 23,2024, stating, “There have been allegations that the government has sold the place to us, the Du-Bois Foundation, but that is not true. There are also allegations that the place has been leased to the Du-Bois Foundation, but that is also not true.”

According to Ayiku, the said agreement is a collaborative partnership between the Du Bois Museum Foundation and the Ministry of Tourism.

He further said that the primary objective of the agreement, which was set for 30 years with an option to extend it for additional 20 years, is to secure funding, develop, operate and manage Du Bois Center.

He emphasised that there is no part of the agreement that compels the government to make any payment to the foundation when the partnership is aborted.

Japheth Aryiku said, "The agreement that we signed with the Ghana government is that the Du Bois Museum Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism will raise the money, develop place, operate and manage the place for a period of 50 years. That 50 years is broken up into thirty and twenty.

“That is, we will be there for the first thirty years under the agreement. At the end of the thirty years…we will meet with the then minister, whoever is in charge and assess our relationship. If we are happy with each other, if the Du Bois Foundation feels that the government of Ghana has treated us well and if the government of Ghana feels that we have managed the place well, then we continue with the next twenty years."

He further stated, “Now to this very important clause in the agreement. If we are not happy and cannot continue with the relationship, the Bu-Bios Foundation will walk away from the $50-80 million that we would have spent at the centre. There is no provision that states that the government has to pay back anything, we will walk away and leave the management, and the operation back to the Ghana government.

“The reason why we want to be there for a longer time is because the place has deteriorated. We don’t believe that the Ghana government or its agencies have the knowledge or the excitement about the life or works of Du Bois to care most about the place.”

RAD/AE


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