The Minister for Communications, Hon. Sam George, has launched a strong critique of former Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful over the government’s acquisition of Airtel Tigo for just $1.
He described the move as reckless and lacking patriotism, arguing that the acquisition has saddled Ghana with an enormous debt burden exceeding GHS 3.5 billion.
“So if someone told you they bought it for $1, who is gonna pay the 3,500,000,000.0 that’s sitting there and growing, accruing interest? And that’s why I say those who carried out that action lack any sense of patriotism”
Sam George, Minister for Communications
Hon. Sam George expressed frustration over what he sees as a disastrous financial deal that has placed a significant debt burden on the government.
The acquisition of Airtel Tigo, which was initially touted as a bargain, has now turned into a major liability, with outstanding debts running into billions of cedis.
The reckless acquisition was made in bad faith, seeing as the nation has incurred an avoidable debt obligation.
The minister revealed that after assumption of office, American Tower Company (ATC), “one of the companies Airtel Tigo owes,” came forward with a bill of GHS 1.5 billion, for payment.
“That’s just ATC alone. Today, the American embassy ambassador was in my office with a team, and one of the major issues was indebtedness to ATC”
Hon. Sam George, Minister for Communication
The minister noted that the debts owed by Airtel Tigo were originally the responsibility of private entities, including Millicom, an American company that operated Tigo, and Bharti Airtel, an Indian telecommunications giant.
He questioned why the government took on the financial burden by acquiring Airtel Tigo instead of allowing the private companies to settle their obligations.
Irresponsibility and Legal Action
For Hon. Sam George, the handling of the Airtel Tigo deal reflects a lack of proper governance and fiscal responsibility.
He alleged that after acquiring the company, those responsible attempted to offload its valuable assets into a separate entity and engage Bharti Airtel again to take over that “clean” version of the business.
This move would have left the government to deal with the absorbed Airtel Tigo debt while the company becomes an empty shell.
The minister suggested that legal action could be necessary to address what he considers a grave financial misstep.
He called on the much needed intervention of the Attorney General’s (AG) office to properly investigate possible crimes committed in the $1 Airtel Tigo acquisition deal.
He expressed faith in the powers of the AG to bring to book those found guilty of wrongdoing against the ministry and state.
“Like I said, the attorney general has work to do because we cannot run a country like this,” he firmly added.
Staff Dismissals at Ghana Post
Beyond the Airtel Tigo controversy, Hon. Sam George also defended his decision to “rationalize” staff at the ministry, including the dismissal of nearly 100 Ghana Post employees.
According to him, the termination and restructuring was not arbitrary. It is necessary to streamline operations and reduce inefficiencies within the ministry.
“People have raised questions about the staff rationalization ongoing at the ministry. But if you are a minister and you take over a ministry that has 3,117 staff in the ministry and its agencies, and you realize that almost 600 of them were recruited after December 7, basically, you cannot expect me to come and inherit such a mess and continue with it”
Hon. Sam George, Minister for Communication
Sam George argued that it was impractical to maintain such a bloated workforce, especially when many of the new hires were brought in under questionable circumstances.
He maintained that the rationalization process was necessary to ensure that the ministry cut costs and operated efficiently.
The minister reiterated his commitment to making the Ministry of Communications more effective by streamlining its workforce.
Despite staff reductions being unpopular, he stated “we’ll continue this rationalization,” underscoring the need for the exercise to finish what it has started.
“I will clean up the ministry, make sure it is lean and efficient, and carry out its work,” he assured.
Hon. Sam George’s comments have reignited the debate over the government’s acquisition of Airtel Tigo and the growing concerns over Ghana’s mounting debt.
His remarks suggest that legal scrutiny may be necessary and actions taken against those who oversaw the deal.
However, his push for efficiency within the Communications Ministry, including staff dismissals, is likely to face resistance from those who see the move as politically motivated.
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