Finance minister Ken Ofori Atta has spoken on the current “ Agyapa Royalties deal”. Speaking to Lawyer Samson Lardy Ayenini on “News file” on Joy news channel Saturday 5th September 2020 , he touched on a number of issues concerning the deal which seems not to be dying soon.
In a question posed to Ken Ofori Atta that it is suggested that the attorney general was brought lately into the picture and gave advice on four different occasions and she kept insisting that certain things ought to be done right and she been the principal lawyer of the Government was not part of the process why that development if that is true .and How he will respond you to it.
He answered by saying it makes him very nervous when we talk about that because really with bills and acts when it goes to parliament they have a retreat, go through things and when they say no and a change is made so that dialogue to be interpreted as the AG was not part of it is wrong. AG is supposed to interrogate anything you bring and she may have a different view and we discuss it and then she understands and how far she wants you to go. To him, that dialogue cannot be misconstrued that the AG did not participate.
In a question asked by think Tank group Imani as to why cabinet was able to approve a deal in March 2020 when as late as May 28th 2020, the attorney general was complaining of not haven seen the main full agreement involved in the transaction besides the relationship agreement what exactly was presented to cabinet to review and approved.
Explaining to this question further, Ken Ofori Atta said that, cabinet has quite a number of processes and hurdles they go through what they discuss with the Economic Management team, what then goes to the Economic subcommittee on economic planning and finance that they go through, and in the end cabinet is an adviser to the president. So all of those things were done and therefore is quite an unclear view of the processes they go through and once you begin to put Sinicism aside, things that they do will not be coloured will not be the way they are collared because fundamentally now , two three weeks there is a sense that you should have consulted the CSO’S and other people a little bit more.
Acknowledging the fact that continued dialogue is important he agreed to it perfectly people have to be brought together. On the nature of engagement he said that, there will be publications on websites, seek audience with the council of state, regional house of chiefs, and also to let people know that this is a part of a plan in terms of strengthening our financial services.
Source: Joy news channel
