Former Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi has expressed contentment over the dismissal of former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko adding that it will keep other public figures in check.
According to him although his statement is not to attack the individual, he explained that when issues of this nature arise, there is a great deal of agitation, various discussions as well as criticisms but it fizzles out after sometime without any consequences.
“First of all I’m happy to see the head of senior government figure roll. Not his particular person but I am happy that at least, one head has rolled because one of the problems; corruption and its scandals in Ghana is that very often there seem to be no consequences.” He indicated when he took his turn on ’21 Minutes with KKB’.
Emmanuel Gyimah-Boadi added that it is this sort of development that will make other public officials “seat up” and know that there may be “consequences for their action and inactions.”
He continued that, “There may be consequences for mismanagement, there may be consequences for corruption. At that level, I see this as a very positive side thing.”
Boakye Agyarko was relieved of his duties due to his mishandling of the AMERI novation and amendment agreement.
The novation and amendment agreement was seeking to buy out the deal Ameri Energy had with the government of Ghana under President John Mahama and handed over to a third party Mytilineos for 15 years. Ghana would have ended up paying over Ghc1 billion under the new arrangement.
The President was allegedly misled into approving the new AMERI deal which had been rejected by Parliament through an Executive Order.
The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin in a communique said President Nana Akufo-Addo was acting in the best interests of the country.
On assertions that President must be partly blamed and should perhaps be indicted the Professor, admitting to not having an indepth knowledge on the issue, said “It may be something of an indictment but I don’t know if it is an indictment to the level that should lead to a resignation.”
However, he suggested that Boakye Agyarko should be given a listening because there may be other issues Ghanaians are not privy to.
The former CDD Director stated emphatically that, “If he tells us about it and it suggests that the president was not misled or the president is misleading the nation then we will make the right call.”
“But for now, I think the president has made the right decision in saying that the person that was put in charge of this business has disappointed me and he must go.” He added.
