A governance expert at the African Governance Institute (AGI), Professor Mark Edusei thinks the Minister of Trade and Industry Ekwow Spio-Garbrah did not err in facilitating Ghana government attempt to settle payment of judgment debt owed Bankswitch.

The renowned governance expert told me Ghanaians must instead commend the Trade Minister for taking a bold and patriotic decision in saving the country over one billion cedis which can be used for solving other national priorities.

Prof. Edusei is not surprise at the attack on the personality and integrity of the Minister by some interested members of society as the issue of the Bandswitch judgment debt.

Fact is the Bankswitch issue is a complicated one. It cuts across political lines and interests.

I agree with the Prof when he said Dr. Spio-Garbrah’s action is a mark of “innovative thinking in governance challenge”. Dr Edusei said that innovative thinking is a new governance paradigm the pan-African institute is championing for African governments.

The facts are that a company called Bankswitch has succeeded in receiving a Judgment debt against the Government and people of Ghana in the amount of approximately GHC 197 million. The judgment debt was for the termination by the Prof Mills administration of a contract awarded under the Kufuor Administration for services in the trade facilitation arena.

The Prof Mills administration was of the conviction that the contract was improperly awarded and that Bankswitch had not performed the services for which it was contracted to perform. Bankswitch sued the Government in international courts and won a judgment debt amounting to approximately GHC 197 million. Due to delays in paying this judgment debt and the accumulating interest, this debt is rising.

As the Government has been unable to pay this judgment debt, Bankswitch has been negotiating with Government on alternative payment arrangements. Until recently, Bankswitch sought to have the Government pay the entire judgment debt over a 5-year period, and in addition for Government to award Bankswitch 0.35% of the FOB values of all Ghana’s imports over five years.

This supplementary award of 0.35% of FOB imports over 5 years, were it to be accepted by the Government of Ghana, would imply a contract to Bankswitch that would be worth more than GHC1 billion cedis over five years.

This additional over payment to Bankswitch of more one billion Ghana cedis would be over and above the full settlement by the Government of Ghana of the GHC 197 million debts, whether paid in one lump sum or over a number of years.

Commenting on the issues surrounding the government’s letter seeking support from DICs to pay the debt, Professor Edusei explained that Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah in attempting to engineer funds from the same sector (Trade) of the economy where the judgment debt originated from acted in good faith to save Ghana from paying in excess of one billion cedis which may go into private pockets for no job done.

The Minister in his wisdom may have seen that some politicians are complicit in the Bankswitch contract agreement signed during the J. A. Kufuor administration and so are scheming for the interests on the judgment debt to sour higher due to government’s inability to pay in the prevailing circumstances and to cash in on a later date.

These interested parties are criticizing the Minister’s action because his action will deprive them of the share of the interest that is continually accruing due to government’s inability to pay the debt outright.

Ghana’s politics has reached a state where a selected few will prefer to feed on the government largesse through dubious means at the expense of the tax payer.

Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has proven a great deal of patriotism and devotion to the good of Ghana which should be celebrated and encouraged in public service in order to protect the public purse. “It is a mark of strong leadership and I am proud of him.

“What is bribery in this case when the Minister acted only in facilitating with the DICs who have already expressed interest in renewing their contracts with the Ghanaian government? Which issues are of procurement practices when the DICs have been doing similar work for Ghana for the past 10 years and will continue to do it anyway?” the Prof queried.

I believe Ghanaians should rather be gracious to have a “nationalistic patriot” as the Trade Minister who could have also allowed himself to agree with the terms of the Bandswitch payment agreement and to get a share of the largesse while the judgment debt is paid over the 5 years period.

According to Professor Edusei, a time will come when the general public will agree with him that Spio-Garbrah and the government of Ghana did a great service to Ghana.

Professor Edusei is governance expert at the renowned African Governance Institute, a pan-African centre of excellence which contributes to the development and the valorization of an innovative thinking on the governance challenges with which the African continent is faced and helps to implement solutions to be adopted by African regional and sub-regional organizations, States, Non States Actors and private sector.