The Parliamentary Affairs Minister has jabbed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer over his threats to abrogate the controversial Agyapa Minerals Royalties agreement if voted into power.
Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu said former President John Mahama's public utterance on the agreement passed by Parliament through a majority decision is regrettable and unfortunate and depicts a sign of dictatorship.
The Majority Leader said this in an exclusive interview on Adom News following the controversy surrounding the agreement.
His comment follows Mr Mahama saying that the architects of the Agyapa Minerals Royalties deal are cronies of President Nana Akufo-Addo.
Questioning the transparency of the deal to Ghanaians, he hinted that he would abrogate the agreement should he win the December 7, polls.
Mr Mahama who described the Agyapa agreement as a shady deal, insisting it’s a theft of Ghana's mining royalties further questioned the basis for the arrangement between the government and a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) company, Agyapa Royalties Limited.
Apart from the ex-president’s concerns, about 15 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) are also demanding a suspension of the Agyapa Royalties deal until all the necessary documents have been disclosed.
But the statement by the former President did not sit well with the experienced Suame legislator described the criticism as disappointing.
“You want to be a tyrant or you want to be a dictator who will not use the Constitution to govern the country,” Kyei-Mensah quizzed.
He, however, admitted that a future government can amend or review any agreement passed by Parliament by following the necessary procedures as enshrine in the 1992 Constitution.
Justifying the work by Parliament, Mr Mensah Bonsu insisted that the agreement is in the best interest of the country.
He said this agreement is not the same as the bauxit agreement the ex-President Mahama signed with his brother’s company.
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