A Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma North Constituency, Mr Justice Joe Appiah says the indiscipline, recklessness and the wanton dissipation of the tax payer’s money by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government has caused Ghana the $170 million judgment debt.
A Commercial Court in London slapped Ghana with the $170 million judgment debt for unlawful termination of the power purchase agreement with the Ghana Power Generation Company (GCGP).
The agreement was cancelled by the Akufo-Addo government based on a recommendation from a committee set up by the Ministry of Energy on orders of the Office of the President to review all power agreements.
Some persons, including the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, Mr John Jinapor, have suggested that the former Minister in the person of Mr Boakye Agyarko should be held responsible for causing the $170 million judgement debt to the state.
However, the former Energy Minister, has justified government’s decision to terminate the power agreement with independent contractor.
He said Ghana is better off with $170m judgement debt, adding that things could have been worse.
But Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie, Justice Joe Appiah said the agreement signed was a very bad one and the worst in Ghana’s history.
Despite being part of the approval process of the agreement, he said they tried to stop it but the NDC’s had their way because they had majority in parliament when it was sent to parliament.
“The recklessness, the indiscipline, and the wanton dissipation of the tax payers money by the Former NDC Administration has caused Ghana the $170 million judgment debt. It was the worst agreement in Ghana’s history. It has never happened,” he said.
Meanwhile, Justice Joe Appiah said paying the $170 million judgment debt is a step in the right direction.
“At times you pay some judgment debt and it helps. This judgment debt will really help because the agreement was ‘bogus’. It was very bad beyond the bounds of human imagination. It is good to pay it. I think if the judgment has come, we have to settle it because we pay over $million 500 every year and yet we don’t need the excess capacity of over 5000 megawatts that we are paying for,” he said.
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
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