The Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to honour his promise to meet labour to thrash out issues with regards to the Millennium Challenge Compact II signed between Ghana and the US in 2014.
Mr Akufo-Addo, addressing workers at the May Day parade at the Independence Square on Monday, disclosed that in addition to ensuring that 51% of ECG would be in Ghanaian hands, the government had been able to negotiate the duration of the concession to 20 years, from the initial 25.
According to the General Secretary of the Union, Michael Adumatta Nyantakyi, though the announcement by government of a successful renegotiation of the deal was welcome news, it would await details of the renegotiated agreement while still looking forward to Mr Akufo-Addo’s promise to fulfil his promise to meet them so they present their real concerns about the concession agreement to him.
“For us, having not seen the transaction report governing the new changes the president is talking about, we’ll be a little careful. We won’t rush into any conclusion,” he told Chief Jerry Forson on Ghana Yensom on Accra100.5FM.
“So, all we are saying is that let us see the details. After the details, I believe it will do the president a lot of good to honour his word so that the dialogue he assured us he would let it happen.
“What we are not very happy about and which we have made known is that the president promised during the State of the Nation Address, and when he came to TUC during his campaign, that the several disagreements surrounding the Compact II between labour, ECG and MiDA would be thrashed out.
“So far, the things the president has put out in large part are good. But what are the details? 51%? 51% of what? Is it a concession, is it a joint venture, or is it that ECG is being divested such that Ghana is offloading some of the shares. All these details we do not know. 25 to 20 years, what influenced that change? Within that period what parameters were used for assessment? Is it the whole 20 years or it would be reviewed intermittently? All these details no one knows.
“So we believe that if there are details and we get to know what has informed this position, it will help a lot.
“But we will continue to make a strong appeal to the president that for the sake of his own statement, promise and integrity, the dialogue he spoke of he should ensure that it happens because the word of a king is his bond.”
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
