The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress has said he is unsatisfied by the sacking Boakye Agyarko as Energy Minister over the controversial AMERI deal.
According to Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the maximum blame lies with the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, for not exercising his supervisory role with decorum.
‘General Mosquito’ as he is popularly known, said whether it was an executive fiat or a cabinet approval that was used to approve the deal, it was Akufo-Addo who signed it so he must take the blame.
Referencing earlier reports that said, the President had been misled in the approval of the AMERI deal, Mr Nketia said that report has since been rebuffed so he is in dilemma why Boakye Agyarko has been ‘slaughtered’.
Related: Ameri deal off?
“…they are now saying nobody misled the President, so if nobody misled the President and Agyarko hasn’t signed anything so why should it be Agyarko who should be axed while the President is still at post,” Mr Nketia said.
Former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko was relieved of his position on Monday after critics highlighted so many loopholes in the renegotiated AMERI power deal.
Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko
The opposition NDC and scores of critics have lauded the move but sooner than later, questions are being asked about wether Mr Agyarko acted alone, or what crosschecking did President Akufo-Addo do before signing the deal for Parliamentary approval.
Explaining this position on the AM Show on the Joy News channel on Multi TV, Wednesday, Asiedu Nketia said the President ought to have checked with the Attorney General since legal matters were involved. He should have asked the opinion of the Finance Minister and other relevant bodies, the NDC General Secretary argued.
“So if the President has not seen anything like that and he proceeds to sign, do you now blame the Minister who presented the proposal,” he quizzed.
Related: Boakye Agyarko sacked
Creating an analogy, the NDC General Secretary said a bank teller cannot be faulted if a cheque is cashed under false pretences because it is the responsibility of the branch manager to make sure necessary checks are done before the account is debited.
“I think that it is the President who has done something wrong and they should stop blaming ministers left right centre,” he added.
The AMERI power deal was entered into by the previous government at the peak of the country’s power crisis amid a lot of controversies with the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) insisting AMERI had shortchanged the country and promised to renegotiate the deal if they win power.
The renegotiating was however met with other controversies which led to the submission of a fresh deal to the President which he approved but has been met with stiff opposition.
Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko has been fired for the ‘gaffe’ associated with the deal.
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