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The editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide says Agyapa’s requests for revocation of the Royalty Agreement at this time are unrealistic.
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako said that many efforts have been made to seal the deal, therefore canceling it at this time will be very difficult.
“We have proceeded to the extent that the agreements have been approved by Parliament, therefore the call for a revocation in my honest opinion is not tenable,” he said in Newsfile on Saturday.
His comments come from the demands of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for the suspension of the Agyapa Royalty Minerals Agreement, which has been approved by Parliament over claims that the processes involved lack transparency.
CSOs insisted that the government should have consulted them before approving the agreement, however, that did not happen.
Although the government has rejected the claims and his request, Baako said that asking for a suspension of the deal now is not sustainable.
According to him, any effort to backtrack on this point can result in problems of lack of integrity, especially now that Parliament has approved the deal.
He added that Parliament’s approval indicates a lot of commitment, so backtracking on this point will be impossible.
Although Mr. Baako agreed that CSO input is a very critical part of governance, he said that any request for suspension should have been made in the early stages, even before Parliament approved the deal. .
“I agree that CSOs are very important. I consider them very critical and therefore I have no problem with CSOs asking for constructive consultation and engagement.
“[But] the problem is when that call was made. To be honest with you, where we have come, Parliament has approved the agreement.
“It comes with a lot of integrity challenges. The state, in this case the government, is dealing with so many organizations both here and abroad, so canceling it now is not sustainable, “he added.
