AMERI deal: Akufo-Addo is the 'worst culprit' - Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said that President Akufo-Addo is only using former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko as a scapegoat to cover up the shame brought on his government and himself.

According to him, the President was aware of the deal and had clandestinely wanted to have his way through with it.

Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he said the President refused to tell Ghanaians what necessiated the removal of Boakye Agyarko in the press statement, as such he should come clear.

"He is the worst culprit, but he wants Ghanaians to believe that he is clean," he accused the President.

He said the President has a lot of explanations to do, including how Nana Asante Bediatuo took the Executive Order to Parliament for approval.

A letter dated 6 August 2018, signed by Director of Communications at the presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, said Mr Agyarko is to hand over his office to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, who will act temporarily as Minister of Energy, until a substantive appointment is made.

The President wished Mr Agyarko well in his future endeavours.

John Boadu says President acted right

However, General Secretary of the NPP, Mr. John Boadu who admitted that the Ameri deal was wrong, said the president acted rightly.

Speaking on the same platform, he explained that the NPP government is committed to reviewing the Ameri deal.

"The Preident has done what he is supposed to do and he owes no one any explanation, we will review the deal to recoup what was wrong in the NDC's deal," he disclosed.

Background

Mr Agyarko’s dismissal is in connection with the Novation and Amendment Agreement of the controversial $510 million Ameri deal signed by the John Mahama administration in 2015.

Mr Agyarko came under heavy criticism when he claimed that Ghana will gain $405 million from the new power deal with Ameri Energy but it was discovered that the country will rather lose up to $472 million.

Revised Ameri Deal

The Akufo-Addo government took the revised deal to Parliament last week under a certificate of urgency, but the House deferred its deliberation on the contract due to concerns over the cost and value for money.



Under the new proposal, the Greece-based Mytilineos International Trading Company was to assume management responsibility for the AMERI emergency power-generation arrangement negotiated by the past NDC government, in effect extending the original outsourcing agreement by ten more years.

In the supposed renegotiated agreement, government is expected to extend the $510 million deal from its original five years to 15 years with the government committing over $700 million to it.

Management of Ameri Energy has since stated that it had no discussions with government with regards to the power plants and the new deal with Mytilineos.