NDC charges NPP government to provide more details on Agyapa Minerals Royalty agreement

- The Minority NDC has asked the government to provide well-detailed information about the Agyapa agreement

- The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, said a future NDC government will not accept the Agyapa agreement

- The Minority staged a walkout when Parliament on August 14, approved the controversial Agyapa Mineral Royalty Limited agreement

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Minority Leader of Parliament Haruna Iddrisu has said, a future government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will not respect the Agyapa deal.

Iddrisu, at a press conference, monitored by YEN.com.gh on Tuesday, September 1, 2020, said the decision of the finance minister to endorse the transaction is in clear violation of article 181 (5) of the Constitution.

"... which requires that side documents, together with the agreements, be laid before Parliament, and, as we speak, we did not have any documentation defining the terms and conditions and the prospectus to guide a decision on this matter," he quoted the Constitution.

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The Tamale South MP further said: “as a direct consequence of this concealment of vital information from the people of Ghana, the debate on the floor of Parliament, got even extremely acrimonious”.

He served notice that a future NDC government will not honour the terms of this "unconscionable agreement as described by the current Attorney General”.

The lawmaker added that the NDC is of the strong view that the decision to mortgage Ghana’s mineral royalties in perpetuity is grossly inimical to the interest of the people of Ghana.

Parliament, a few weeks ago, in line with the Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) Act, 2018 (Act 978), approved agreements to allow the country to derive maximum value from its mineral resources and monetise the mineral income accruing to Ghana in a sustainable and responsible manner.

The move gives Agyapa Royalties Limited the right to secure about $1 billion to enable the government to finance large infrastructural projects.

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The Minority in Parliament boycotted the deal and accused the government of mortgaging Ghana’s gold resources.

YEN.com.gh also earlier reported that former president John Mahama has also reiterated the Minority’s concerns and said he will not respect the deal should he win the December 7, 2020, polls.

A coalition of CSOs in the mining industry has also kicked against it.

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Source: YEN.com.gh