Invite interested parties, probe AGM-AKER deal-CSOs to Speaker of Parliament
Early this month, the Ranking Member for the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Abu Jinapor, issued a statement on behalf of the Minority side in parliament which read in part;
The Alliance of CSOs working on the Extractives, Anti-corruption, and Good Governance has appealed to the Speaker of Parliament, Rt.Hon.Alban Bagbin to invite interested parties in the AGM-AKER energy transaction by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation(GNPC).
According to the group, this will spark up and necessitate a transparent and clear conversation on the matter.
This was disclosed in a letter by the CSOs to the Speaker of Parliament to probe the GNPC transaction.
Further to the above, the group bemoaned the attacks on its outfits as a result of its concerns with the valuation of the transaction(over a billion dollars).
Background
The GNPC through the GNPC Explorco, the Exploration and Production Company of the former, intends to buy 37% in the Deepwater Tano/Cape three-point which is operated by AKER energy Ghana Limited as well as 70% stake in the South Deep Water Tano(SDWT) also operated by the AGM Petroleum Ghana Limited.
The GNPC has meanwhile secured approval from the cabinet and is seeking a $1.65 billion loan to this effect.
This move has created ambivalence among Civil Society Organization (CSOs) in the country relative to its value for money.
Early this month, the Ranking Member for the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Abu Jinapor, issued a statement on behalf of the Minority side in parliament which read in part;
“However, it must be made clear that we have serious concerns about the proposed hyper-inflated purchase price of the blocks and demand that all necessary due diligence, independent audits, valuation, and appraisals must be conducted by the GNPC to ensure value for money for the country before the deal is approved by parliament,” it said.
