ENERGY MINISTER SACKED

 By Adu Koranteng

Information reaching the New Crusading GUIDE indicates that the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko has been relieved of his post.

A press release signed by Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Jubilee House said “The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has by letter dated 6^th August 2018, relieved the Minister for Energy, Mr Boakye Agyarko, of his position, with immediate effect.

President Akufo Addo has asked Mr. Boakye Agyarko to hand over his office to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr John Peter Amewu, who will act temporarily as Minister for Energy, until a substantive appointment is made”. The statement noted further that “the President wishes Mr Boakye Agyarko well in his future endeavors.

The statement said the departure of the minister is in the interest of the Ghanaian public and the Akufo-Addo government.  Boakye Agyarko becomes the first minister under the Akufo-Addo government to lose his job.  The sacking came after the minister led a team to review the power purchase deal with the Dubai-based company Africa & Middle East Resources Investment Group (AMERI) which was signed in 2015 under the Mahama government. The five-year contract was signed to Build Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOST) at a cost of $510m which the Akufo-Addo government has repeatedly said is inflated.But after leading a process to review the deal, Ghanaians have been told, AMERI II is now a 15-year contract to be taken over by a new company Mytilineos.

Government has claimed the reviewed deal will save the taxpayer $405m, a claim which the Africa Center for Energy Policy has called misleading. ACEP has said rather than making any savings, the new deal will cost the taxpayer $937.5 million.

The policy think-tank’s critical views appear to have swayed public opinion against the agreement which is yet to receive parliamentary approval. The Statesman newspaper closely linked to sources inside the corridors of power has reported, the deal is off and also claimed the President was misled.

General Secretary of the governing NPP John Boadu has confirmed media reports, government is taking fresh steps to review the controversial renegotiated AMERI deal. Managing editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper Ben Ephson is asking President Akufo Addo to immediately name and sack all those involved in the controversial Ameri renegotiation deal

In the heat of these criticisms, the Energy minister is facing social media pressure to resign and Joy News sources say the President has summoned his minister and deputy although it cannot be confirmed if the summon is linked to the controversy.

Leading VRA workers to push the minister out, the Chairman of the Volta River Authority Staff Association Cephas Dusesaid  the minister “lacks integrity”.  He said Boakye Agyarko has exhibited “financial recklessness” and demonstrated an intent to “assist a foreign entity to milk the state”.

Cephas Duse called on the minister to “honorably resign” to save the nation from the “embarrassment and disgrace”. The Staff Association indicated they will be petitioning the president to sack his minister if he does not resign.