Govt wants to extend Ameri deal to 15 yrs – Minority alleges

The Ameri deal was signed in 2015[/caption] The NDC Minority in Parliament claimed government is working at extending the Ameri Energy Agreement from the current five years to 15 years. “What is most intriguing about the revelation is that the renegotiation is not between the Government of Ghana and Ameri Energy but rather between the Government of Ghana and Metka (the EPC contractor), the Minority said in a statement. Members of the Minority are baffled at government’s decision to extend the agreement when the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy was yet to present its report on a motion file by K.T. Hammond in August 2017. Mr. Hammond requested the House to rescind the decision it gave in approving the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) Agreement between the Government of Ghana and Africa and Middle East Resources Investment Group LLC [AMERI ENERGY] on grounds of gross misrepresentation. [caption id="attachment_74920" align="aligncenter" width="609"] The Minority side of Parliament[/caption] “It is almost Ten (10) months down the lane and the people of Ghana are still waiting for the outcome of the committee’s investigation. It is therefore surprising to the Minority that the Minister of Energy has decided to commence negotiation with a third party, Metka with a view to getting a novation agreement. This action if true opens up the possibility of litigation if the main contractor fails to cooperate and that could possibly lead to financial loss to the state.” The Minority said the move by the Akufo-Addo-led government is a clear vindication that the Mahama-led government was transparent and efficient in the manner it handled the Ameri deal. “Typical of the plethora of lies and empty promises staged by the Akufo-Addo/ Bawumia campaign in the run up to the 2016 election designed to hoodwink the people into voting for them, they have now come face to face with the reality and are diving for cover. “Far from insisting and actually abrogating the agreement with the Ameri Energy as they had loudly proclaimed while in opposition, the Akufo Addo/ Bawumia Government has now somersaulted from an abrogation to a renegotiation of the deal. What a shameful betrayal of principle and integrity,” the statement signed by Adam Mutawakilu, Ranking Member Mines and Energy Committee asserted. Source: 3news.com | Ghana]]>