The controversy surrounding the suspended “Agyapa” Gold Royalties deal is far from over as the National Democratic Congress has expressed its concerns about the USD$12 million reported to have been spent on the abandoned agreement.
During a recent appearance before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, CEO of the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, revealed that the Agyapa royalties deal, which is currently on hold, has already cost the Ghanaian taxpayer $12 million.
In response to this revelation, the National Communication Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi, criticized the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government for what he perceived as a financial loss to the state.
Gyamfi argued that Ghanaians were astonished by the government’s decision to spend such a substantial amount on the failed Agyapa deal.
He further listed several pressing national needs that could have been addressed with the $12 million, including payments for the treatment of kidney patients affected by the recent closure of the Renal Dialysis Unit at Korle Bu, as well as the procurement of textbooks for basic schools and the payment of National Service Personnel allowances.
The NDC has alleged that certain individuals in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government distributed the disclosed $12 million payments among themselves under the guise of the failed “Agyapa” royalties arrangement.
The party has pledged to investigate and retrieve all payments made in the name of the collapsed Agyapa Royalties deal and similar arrangements, should the NDC and John Mahama emerge victorious in the 2024 General Elections.
These developments serve as a renewed reminder of the unresolved tensions surrounding the Agyapa deal and suggest that the issue is likely to remain a point of contention in the foreseeable future.
