Former Executive Director of the Danquah Institute Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has noted that Kofi Osafo-Maafo, the son of Ghana’s Senior Minister, was among the six persons shortlisted for a role in the Agyapa Royalties deal.
He said Mr Osafo-Maafo’s curriculum vitae and credentials posed stronger than the rest hence, his choice to manage the deal.
Speaking on Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM, Mr Octhere-Darko said Mr Osafo-Maafo is a national asset given the depth of his understanding in investments.
He said: “If you look at his CV, you can clearly tell that he is someone that even he were not to be in Ghana, we would have gone to look for him.
“A lot of people have even said that his talent is being underused as head of investment at SSNIT.
“The reason being that SSNIT has been abused over the years that they don’t have the space to invest. They are trying to get rid of the investments that they have made because a lot of the investment do not give them anything.”
He added: “Six people were shortlisted included Kofi Osafo-Maafo. The claims against him is not that he is incompetent or he engaged in any criminal act.”
“He is a national asset,” he stressed.
Government has been accused of nepotism and favouritism in the choice of the Senior Minister’s son to play a lead role in the execution of the Agyapa deal.
A Deputy National Youth Organizer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Edem Agbana, for instance, condemned the decision by the government to include him in the deal, saying that is a mark of double standards.
He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) criticized businessman Ibrahim Mahama, who is also a brother to former President John Mahama, when he expressed interest in Ghana’s bauxite and described it as a family and friend governance Mr Mahama was running in the country.
But, he said, they found it convenient to include Senior Minister Osafo-Maafo’s son in the Agayapa deal.
A Deputy Finance Minister, Charles Adu-Boahen, has said Mr Oasafo-Maafo was selected through a competitive process.
Similarly, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo has the experience in mineral royalties’ transaction and his track record in some of the countries he has worked for very much qualifies him to engage in the Agyapa Royalties deal.
Ghana’s legislature approved the controversial Agyapa Mineral Royalty Limited agreement Friday, August 14 despite a protest from the Minority.
Based on the agreement, Agyapa Royalties Limited (ARL) will trade shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange for private people to buy. But the Mineral Income Investment Fund (MIIF) will remain the majority shareholder.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana