Agyapa Royalties Deal: We Have Nothing To Hide-Deputy Info Minister

Deputy Minister of Information, Pius Enam Hadzide says the meeting with the Alliance of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) was meant to show the transparency of the Akufo-Addo government in the Agyapa Royalties deal.

According to him, the Akufo-Addo government is not obstinate to close its ears to divergent views about the deal.

He added that government has always aimed at making people understand its operations in order to arouse their support.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Pius Enam Hadzide insisted that the Finance Minister’s meeting with the Civil Society Organizations paved the way for better and further understanding of the Agyapa Royalty deal as there were earlier misconception and misunderstanding about the deal.

“Akufo-Addo government is not obstinate to close its ears to other views. We always want people to have a better understanding of issues. We want transparency in everything we do so that the ordinary ones can also understand and participate as well as to support us and from time to time, we want to meet with CSOs, institutions, or organization,” he indicated.

“We are not like those who refuse to give a listening ear to other views. We are not like the dead goat syndrome that does not welcome other views,” he stressed.

He said the Agyapa Royalty deal generated a debate after the Parliamentary approval among some Civil Society Organizations; hence, some CSOs met with the Finance Minister for explanation and clarification about the deal.

“We did that because we have nothing to hide in the deal,” he indicated.

The Deputy Information Minister again said the government will continue to engage and provide clarity to anyone and institutions or organizations that may so desire.

He posited that even as the government engages people and institutions to clarify the Agyapa Royalties deal, the Akufo-Addo government shall continue to work in the best interest of the Ghanaian people; thus, the government will “use our nation's resource to leverage our assets for tomorrow”.