Afenyo-Markin dares minority to point out corruption in Agyapa Deal

The Agyapa Minerals Royalties transaction which government seeks to present before Parliament is a clean deal that has not been indicted of any form of corruption whatsoever and anyone with a counter claim with evidence should step forward and make it known, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament has said.  

He said the Minority side of the House  against the Agyapa transaction could be inspired by sheer jealousy because a previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) led government could not get a similar transaction through after they had done all the feasibility studies.

Afenyo-Markin, MP for Effutu said not even the resigned Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu raised any allegation of corruption against the Agyapa transaction or any of its officials.

“This Honourable Member I so much respect made reference to the report on Agyapa. And I am happy he brought it. I challenge anyone ready to read to point out to me a single sentence where an allegation of corruption is leveled with respect to the Agyapa transaction…

“Mr. Speaker, these are all tricks by senior lawyers and when the horses have bolted, you come to an empty stable to read arguments. The point here, and for emphasis, Martin Amidu never lifted a corruption finger, and never pointed a hand at anybody in respect of Agyapa. And I am happy what you have read. He was balancing his arguments, saying if this is the situation, this is what it may look” Afenyo-Markin noted on the Floor of Parliament last Thursday during debate on the State of the Nation Address delivered by Presient Akufo-Addo.

He pointed out that the Minority was being hypocritical on the Agyapa transaction:

“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, disagrees with the Agyapa transaction. He says it is ‘Yaamutu’. But Mr. Speaker, what is the rationale behind Agyapa.  In the 2011 budget, a government he was a member of, this was what the Finance Minister said on this very Floor on November 8, 2010.

“Currently, Ghana has shares and carried interests in a number of mining companies that enables government to receive significant cash flows from royalties and dividends. The current increases in gold prices increase demand for gold exposures by investors and the appreciation in equity interest by gold mining companies present a unique opportunity for government to consider the monetization of all portions of its gold interests to deliver a significant capital sum to support the nation’s growth and development.” This was by Dr. Kwabena Duffour who had once been a Governor of the Central Bank. He was Finance Minister

“Mr. Speaker the question is if as a result of your inability to push through this transaction and we have come and we are doing the right thing, is it out of jealousy that you want to kill this initiative. Is it that it hurts you that you couldn’t do it? This is what you did. You did research; you brought experts and transactional advisors. The records are there. You came to Parliament.  This is not from me it is from your own government.  What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Act in good faith and don’t just say it because it is convenient to say so”, Afenyo-Markin added.

The Effutu MP said there is the need to shift away from the politics of name calling and baseless accusations of corruption when the very persons making the allegation know it lacks merits.

He expressed surprise the Minority is relying on Martin Amidu’s speculation even though it  fell short of pointing a single instance of corruption in the Agyapa deal:

“When Martin Amidu said that President Mahama was corrupt in the Airbus scandal, President Mahama was disturbed and in his outrage, his words were ‘Martin was a coward, and his conduct was stupid’. These were his words.

“How then do you set aside the same statement which was said about President Mahama you were not happy about, and then say that the same Martin Amidu says this administration is corrupt?” Afenyo-Markin noted.