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
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This government is full of bad dogs , the chief of these dogs will be hanged in 2020.. If Nana Addo doesn't prosecute this guy , then he himself has a hand in it, and when it backfired they agreed to sacrifice the minister publicly, meanwhile they have a deal with him privately...
Mr. Prez. you’re doing a great Job but if you don’t take care Your Son Gabby will make you 1 term President. Agyarko was misled by Gabby & it transmogrified to your Office and then to Parliament. So if Agyarko is Going then Gabby must follow or else you know the Tribe and Area Agyarko comes from they will go against your 2nd term Bid because of your #SonCousinGabby. #Iamaninsider #IfuwantoRobaBankown1
barred word is d3ad g0at
at least the president has shown that he is a man of his words. u have to be sack them when they do something bad and not ask them to resign or reshuffle them like the ***barred word*** use to do. anyone who is engaged in any corrupt deal under this govt must be hanged be4 the ple hanged the president himself like what happened to the ***barred word***. the ***barred word*** decided to pay the price for the corrupt activities by his appointees. thank you Mr Prez. one gboza for u.
Hon. Ash please been a president is not a joke. Mind you we have a listening Prez. And he will not shield A Corrupt person in his gov’t like we witness under a certain #OdwunFonoGov’t🐐 Agyarko may have been promoted under JM gov’t. #IfyouwantoRobaBankOwn1
Agyarko bribe Parliamentarian to approve his appointment even though he new nothing about the job. Mukyendi government
Ghanaians must also sack Nana and his team. The masses are suffering. The depreciation of the cedi is too much to bear by the common man earning fixed income.