Before Parliament starts debate on the sale of government’s 70% shares in Ghana Telecom (GT) to Vodafone UK, it has been revealed that some Members of Parliament belonging to the Majority side are strongly opposed to the deal. This comes as a surprise and contrary to the usual norm where members of a particular party toll the same line in crucial debates. The New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Okere, Brandford Kwame Adu, says he and some of his NPP colleagues are not in support of the transaction, and would probably vote against it. He told City FM on Tuesday: "Many NPP MPs are against the sale...I am against the deal on the point that the value is not good for the state.” Enthused by the kind of “knowledgeable” personalities who have shared their views on the sale, Mr. Adu, who is a business expert added, “We are not getting the best out of it. What I expect is not less than two or five billion dollars.” He took into consideration the assets of Ghana Telecom to buttress his point why the company should be valued for more than the proposed $900 million. He described the deal as a “peanut” and recommended a percentage of 50 to 52% shares to Vodafone, which “I would have been comfortable with”. The MP also expressed concern about the timing of the deal. “We are selling it at the wrong time. Selling at the bad time, you will get the bad deal,” he noted, “we should have sold it earlier or later.” However, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Freddie Blay, expressed a divergent view. “I support the deal hundred percent because it makes sense, commercially, it is good.” He also disagreed that since the government’s term is ending, it should not take any key business decision on behalf of the country. “The government has to manage the economy until it leaves office,” he stated. Story by Isaac Essel