And God said: Be bold and courageous; Have I not commanded you?
Fellow Ghanaians, this issue must be addressed, and we must stand up and speak to it. Truly, the magnitude of the Ghana National Procurement Corporation (GNPC)/AKER Energy horrifying sham deal is definitely infinitely so very abysmal.
For the avoidance of any doubt, the real value of GNPC’s 37% stake is approx $155m, based on Aker ASA/Aker Energy Ghana’s total declared 50% value of approx $210m (revised, not $230m )
Why has Parliament approved $1.2 bn for GNPC’s 37% stake? So it is inflated by a staggering $1.045bn for which Ghana is to provide a sovereign loan?
Tofiakwa! this is incredulous! How is this “gargantuan” rip-off remotely conceivable? Even $200m is too much, so why has over $1 billion been tagged on? It is an unacceptable unadulterated plain thievery.
Why is the 37% stake worth $155m being purchased from Aker energy for $1.2bn after they purchased it for $100m in 2018 and held on to it without exploration? This is a spooky, windfall, and fortuitous resale after three years to offload their now perceived baggage, to a 13% stake, under the pretext of GNPC co-exploration as a majority shareholder, which Aker Energy is to lead. Is this deal and valuation not simply criminal?
How can any democratic government stoop so low as to do this outrageously stinky, fraudulent deal and have the shameless audacity to call insightful CSO’s not in favour of this heist, anti-national interest, in reverse oil curse? No wonder the Energy Minister Mathew Prempeh slapped a gag order on the Petroleum Commission.
It is Akufo-Addo/NPP’s ironic, unpatriotic, hypocritical government that cries foul over NDC-inflated projects, doing a surpassing corruption deal, from its miserable conception which has an additional $350m in exploration costs.
The 37% stake dumping for a trumped-up premium is not in spite of but because of flight to renewables, falling fuel prices and perceived geopolitical instability and unprofitability.
The AKERS DEAL:
Is undemocratic
It is unethical.
It defies logic.
It is a corrupt deal
It constitutes an abuse of power
It has to be stopped
The Parliamentary Assent is also premised on deliberate lies and falsehood; therefore, it is Void. Accordingly, the Aker deal must simply be stopped.
Economic and Organised Crime Office (ECCO), with its newly ‘fortified’ 77-years-old Stephen Dapaa-Addo, retired presidential appointee, come to the rescue?
Ghana is in a corruption crisis. Is the new Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng going to interject a corruption risk – assessment after the President’s intervention on the Agyapa deal Report, which the Aker deal is replacing caused “SP” Amidu’s resignation? What next? Hither Ghana with a “mother serpent of corruption” overload, rhymes with overlord?
I am utterly confounded and sleepless. Yes, overwhelmed and rendered speechless.
May God Almighty have mercy on a pitiful Ghana with minerals and energy resource pathos! This GNPC /Akers deal is simply outrageous.
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The writer can be contacted via busiafordemocracy@yahoo.com.