Seasoned lawyer, Tsatsu Tsikata, has described as disappointing government’s posturing on the 170-million-dollar judgement debt saga.
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.
However, lawyer Tsatsu Tsikata said, what transpired in the run up to the London court ruling should serve as a lesson to future administrations.
The former GNPC boss was speaking to Atinka News on Thursday on the sidelines of a mentoring programme with students of Central University College at Miotso in the Ningo Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.
Tsatsu Tsikata said the government of the day could have adopted a more nationalistic approach which could have convinced the London court, whose judgement was based on the Ghana government’s lack of interest in the matter.
He stressed on the need for the country and future administrations to take a cue from what transpired.
The mentoring programme, which was put together by the Students Representative Council (SRC) of Central University under the theme, “Legal Education and Youth Development”, was aimed at mentoring students who might have interest in taking up legal studies.
President of the school’s SRC, Emmanuel Nargeh, said the programme will go a long way to impart knowledge on students who have yearned to learn something from the legal luminary.
Watch full interview below:
Ghana | Atinkaonline. com | Philip Azu
