NPP’s Boakye Agyarko Reveals Loggerhead With Tyrant Akufo Addo -As Cracks Deepen in NPP

Former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko and a former campaign manager for President Akufo Addo has revealed that he has been in a cold war with the President ever since he was fired in 2018 over the AMERI power contract extension.

In an interview on Accra-based Asempa FM’s ‘Ekosi Sen’ program, Mr. Agyarko reveals he has since not been on talking terms with the President whom he had known for over 47 years, and that he is cool with the bad blood.

Agyarko vows he will not even take another appointment from Akufo-Addo if he offers it on a silver platter and that he now has his eyes set on becoming President.

“I don’t talk to President Akufo-Addo. I’ve decided to move on. I don’t begrudge President Akufo-Addo for sacking me as minister. My focus is to be president. I wouldn’t take any appointment from President Akufo-Addo if he calls,” the former Energy Minister stressed.

It would be recalled that Agyarko was fired from his portfolio as Energy Minister in August 2018 over the government’s shady decision to extend a power deal between the country and UAE-based AMERI power plant.

Agyarko had been thrown under the bus over the shady signing of the contract, even though Agyarko insists that the contract was signed at the Jubilee House by the Executive Secretary to the President Nana Asante Bediatuo.

When the scandal blew over, a dishonest Akufo Addo claimed he was misled.

The John Mahama administration had 2015 signed a contract with Africa and Middle East Resources Investment Group (AMERI) Energy, to rent the 300MW of emergency power plant. This was at the peak of the country’s power crisis.

The power agreement with UAE-based AMERI Energy cost $510 million. However, the Akufo-Addo administration, it found out that AMERI had shortchanged the government as they presented an overpriced budget, and were overpaid by $150 million.

Consequently, the government made moves to bring in a Greek company, Mytilineous International Trading Company to replace AMERI.

Under the new agreement, Mytilineous was to take over the management of the AMERI power plant for 15 years.

The new company had offered to pay AMERI an amount of $52 million with the government paying the remaining $39 million to the Dubai-based AMERI Energy to wash its hands off the deal entirely.

The new deal which was sent to Parliament under a certificate of urgency was withdrawn after Ghanaians raised concerns about the cost.

Amidst the scandalous revelations that the new contract was rather going to cost Ghanaians more, President Akufo-Addo axed the Energy Minister without providing any reason.

Later pro-government newspaper, the Statesman would report that Agyarko had been fired because he had misled President Akufo-Addo into signing the new deal.

Many believe the claim by the paper was fake and that Akufo-Addo had only thrown Agyarko under the bus after a corrupt move by the President himself had sparked public anger.

Amidst the suspicion that Agyarko had only suffered plausible deniability by the President, he had refused to speak to the issue, promising that he would one day tell his story.

Speaking to Asempa FM, Agyarko claimed his sack had been orchestrated and that it had to do with his presidential ambition.

“My sacking as a Minister was an orchestration. All claims against me were hoaxes. Those who orchestrated my sacking just wanted me out. I didn’t do anything wrong. I was hounded out because of my presidential ambition,” the former Energy Minister said.

Meanwhile, the former Trade Minister has been firing Akufo-Addo over the poor state of the economy and the government’s lies over the state of affairs.

“The economy is not in a good place as we speak. We must be honest about it. Ghanaians would have to tighten their belts in order to survive this economy,” he said.