Peacefmonline.com can confirm that Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko, has been sacked over the controversial Novation and amendment AMERI deal.
His dismissal takes "immediate effect".
This follows claims that President Akufo-Addo was 'misled' in the new AMERI deal presented to Parliament few days ago.
A statement issued a few minutes ago and signed by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, said the President by a "letter dated 6th August, 2018, relieved the Minister for Energy, Mr. Boakye Agyarko, of his position, with immediate effect."
According to the statement, President Akufo-Addo "asked Mr. Boakye Agyarko to hand over his office to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. John Peter Amewu, who will act temporarily as Minister for Energy, until a substantive appointment is made".
Public Uproar
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.
The new deal has, however, been described by the Minority in Parliament, the Volta River Authority (VRA), African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) and Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC Ghana) as “stinky” and “a rip-off,” and would prefer the President kicks him out of office.
"Sack Agyarko If He Fails To Resign"
At a press conference on Monday, the Senior Staff Association of the Volta River Authority (VRA) disputed claims by Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko that the newly revised AMERI deal will save Ghana some $400 million.
Chairman of the senior Staff Association Cephas Duse addressing the media Monday, said Mr. Agyarko has exhibited financial recklessness and must be given the boot from office or resign.
“We think that by the current deal, the minister has exhibited financial recklessness with intent to assist a foreign company to milk the state. We therefore call on him to resign honourably and save the nation and the government further disgrace and embarrassment....We plead with the President to sack him if he fails to resign,” Chairman of the senior Staff Association Cephas Duse said.
Their call followed a similar one by COPEC Ghana who also demanded that the President immediately sacks Mr. Agyarko for deceiving the nation.
“We, therefore, call upon the president to urgently fire or sack the Energy Minister and its communicators and prosecute them,” a press release signed by Research, Pricing and Monitoring Officer at COPEC Ghana, Sampson Addae, said on Sunday, 5 August 2018.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
The President should be a bit circumspect. Mind you we are doing Africa politics and if you are not careful you may rush to the ditch. We have experienced so many Minister indiscretion in this country but it never resulted in sacking. During Kufour era Osafo completed a loan deal with a company abroad whose location was reported to have been a saloon shop. Ghana committed money to the STL housing deal and even launched it with the tax payers money. The then Housing Minister spearheaded all these but what happened. President Mahama added so much on a helicopter deal when he was the Vice. Inspite of all the noise nothing happened. There are several examples of Minister indiscretion and it doesn't mean we should sack him. This man has done a lot to sustain the energy situation especially generation of power. We should not allow the lousy NDC guys to dictate the pace for us.
It is suprising that people are quick to jump to conclusion that Agyarko is corrupt. He was simply entrapped. The powers that be are still in control of the energy sector because of the huge siphoning that goes on there. Where was the VRA Union executives when the original rip-off Ameri deal was signed. The mistake made was for the president to appoint that huge committee to review the deal but failed to act when it was clear that it was a rip-off. Some people should have been sacked from the ministry and VRA for clarity to prevail. Poor Agyarko! He has been pursued from day 1.
In politics if you act and your praise singers are from the opposition it is clear you have screwed up. The president simply screwed up. He has turned a hill of beans into a mountain and damaged his standing amongst a lot of people. Where is dumsor all thanks to this man and this is reward carcass for the opposition. Mr. president get out of that bubble and smell the roses.
Ooooh Nana you have won my 2020 vote already. This is what JDM lacked. Ghana is not for any group of people, if we follow these politicians sheepishly like what NDC did by protecting ***barred word*** like Afriyie Ankrah and Dr.Opuni in the name of politics, Ghana will never develop. ***barred word*** must not be given chance in our body politics.
Afriyie Ankrah was implicated in Brazil, did your JM have the boldness to sack him? Charlie commot for there
For those of you thanking the president let me tell you the damage has already been committed and the government is gradually becoming unpopular in face of fighting corruption. Sacking is just to salvage the victim's image but will never restore the confidence of the majority of the citizens in terms of fighting corruption. Just two yrs into office count the number of ministers that come under corruption allegations. Am sorry the president cannot escape been tag as not corrupt. Am even confuse where the special prosecutor will start his job from. Is he going to start right from the president office or where?
No presidential candidate in our most recent political history suffered as much as Nana Addo did to become president. Lost the NPP bid several times, lost to Atta Mills & JM, has been called all sorts of names and been associated with all crimes under heaven including smoking wee, cocaine, womanizing, being arrogant, dwarfing, urinating on mosques...etc. No other candidate was denigrated as much as Nana.So if after all these tribulations he is elected President at age 70 plus and he appoints you as a minister/ to serve, you have to be faultless in your conduct and not behave as if you were rather a candidate on the budget. Agyarko's posturing from day one was wrong and he always behaved as if Ghana owed him something. Good riddance!
In the light of formal education, Mr. Agyarko has all the right tools to work with to produce competent results and he was making a headway as energy Minister and nearly won the trust of the President to the extent of being able to mislead him. But his ethics of service has awfully lost the war against his personal avarice. Very sad indeed.
Hwewa y3 morbor aampa. The testic.le is sad. When you go to parliament and start mentioning Etw.3 yim nyansa I.e the vag.ina is wise your down fall will be looking right to your kot.se y3 abo.wa!! Agyarko please send me some of your bow ties.
Boakye Agyarko Energy Minister must take full responsibility for his actions. Dr. Opuni is being tried for cutting corners. Mr. Agyarko appears to have scandal following him by the way he behaves. Procedure is very important in whatever one does. If the new deal requires input from the Ghana AG and Finance ministry why did he sidestep them? His sacking as a cabinet minister is a dire warning to the gov’t ministers that if you do not follow procedure you would fall on the sword. Good job by President Nana Addo, any minister taking anything to him will think twice. I personally feel Mr. Peter Amewu should be given the mantle to formally take over as the energy minister. He has fought and conquered NDC dark forces and prevailed in fights including galamsey, he has done extremely well. The energy ministry is a “gold mine” and President Nana Addo needs a good honest man to front there. That does not take away the fact that the original Ameri deal signed by Incompetent Mahama and his NDC gang is still a very bad deal and must be renegotiated or legitimately abrogated, NDC started defaulting on the terms before they lost power potoo. Due diligence must be done for a fair new deal to protect the tax payer and the economy.