Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, Ghanadot
Accra, May 19, Ghanadot - The
government, through the Ministry of Communications has set
up a five-member committee to review the Sales and Purchase
Agreement (SPA) between the government of Ghana and Vodafone
International Holdings BV.
The five-member committee is made up of:
Mr. Justice Emmanuel Addo, a
Retired Appeal Court Judge, Chairman, Mrs. Ama Banful,
representative of the
Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice
Mr. Benjamin Cudjoe, Assistant
Auditor-General
Mr. Opoku Gyamfi Boateng, Financial Consultant and,
Mr.
Issah Yahaya, representative of the Ministry of
Communications.
The committee would be assisted by a four member technical
team
comprising Mr. Raymond Atuguba, a legal consultant and a Law
lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, Dr. Ben Adu, a
communications consultant, Mr. Michel Bow-Amuah, a network
consultant and Ms Rita Sraha, a financial expert.
Inaugurating the committee in Accra, the Minister of
Communications, Haruna Iddrisu spelt out a 15-point terms of
reference for the committee and gave them 90 days to present
a report to the ministry for the necessary action.
He charged them to uphold the principles of
transparency and fairness in their work.
The terms of reference for the committee included why the
National Fibre Optics Backbone was
included in the sale, justification for the indemnity clause
in the agreement and possibly its removal, why some
of the Ghana Telecom (GT)
liabilities were not covered under the Sales, Purchase
Agreement, the exemption regime under the agreement in
relations to offers of 3G licenses, how much capital
Vodafone has invested since the take over and issue about
the change of name and headquarters of GT.
Mr. Iddrisu observed that the review would be done in good
faith and without prejudice, saying that it would focus on
the SPA but not interfere with the Parliamentary action in
approving the agreement.
“We trust that the review would provide us with tools to
advise Parliament to take a closer look at aspects of the
SPA,” he said.
The minister added that the review was in fulfillment of a
manifesto pledge to the people of Ghana, adding that it was
necessary for the government to keep faith with the
electorate and deliver on their promises.
“You may also recall that the Ghanaian public and the
political parties in opposition at the time raised critical
questions on the transaction.
“We need to find answers to these questions - I wish to
assure you that the review is being done to assuage the
concerns of the Ghanaian public.”
Mr. Iddrisu said after the review that
government would be in the position to take a
decision that would be in the strategic interest of the
country with regards to Vodafone.
“I wish to assure potential investors that we will continue
to encourage foreign investment in Ghana, provided those
investments are legitimate and
genuine,” he indicated.
Mr. Iddrisu said government, for instance, believed that the
name should remain as GT/Vodafone instead of the new name,
Vodafone.
Mr. Justice Addo, the Chairman of the five-member committee
assured the minister that the committee would scrutinise
the SPA thoroughly and provide government with the needed
information for a decision advantageous to Ghana.
It would be recalled that in 2008 Vodafone acquired 70 per
cent of The Enlarged Ghana Telecom for US$900 million amidst
hue and cry from the public.
Some individuals have taken the government to court since,
seeking a review of the
transaction but Vodafone has welcomed a review by the
government.
Meanwhile, a number of Ghanaians who spoke to the Ghanadot
welcomed the review and appealed to the committee to thread
cautiously not to compromised
Ghana’s image as a favourable investment destination, adding
that in the same manner the approval of the SPA was made
public, the findings and recommendations of the review
should also not be shielded in secrecy.
Ghanadot
