According to information obtained by JoyNews, the joint venture agreement between Ghana and the private sector that will see the takeover of the A.T. Telecommunication Network, formerly known as AirtelTigo Ghana, has not yet received parliamentary approval.
A.T. Network, which the government purchased for a dollar after earlier international investors sold the company, and UK-based private equity firm Hannam Investments reached an agreement in November of last year thanks to the efforts of Sector Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful and her team.
JoyNews has discovered that the Ministry of Communications has not yet formally complied with Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin’s directive for the deal to undergo parliamentary approval.
These details were confirmed by JoyNews checks from the Parliament’s Communications Committee, where some minority members expressed dissatisfaction with the state of affairs.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the minister of the sector, may or may not meet with the Parliamentary Select Committee in the coming days. However, any more delay may result in a legal battle.
The 1992 Constitution’s Article 75, which states that any treaty, agreement, or convention carried out by the President must be ratified by an Act of Parliament or a resolution of Parliament backed by the votes of more than half of all Members of Parliament, is cited by the agreement’s detractors.
A.T. publication states that the Joint Venture will accomplish the following main goals:
- Enhanced Telecommunication Infrastructure: Hannam Investments through the Joint Venture will invest in state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure upgrades to create a leading 4G mobile telecom network focused on fast, reliable, and secure data provision to the consumer.
- Competitive products and services. The commitment to launching innovative, consumer-centric products and services and ensuring consumers access to the latest advancements in telecommunications technology.
- Social commitment. In addition to the provision of leading and advanced telecommunications and services to the consumer, the joint venture will ensure a positive future and job security for employees of AT and stakeholders that amount to over 10,000 Ghanaians. The joint venture will lead to the creation of jobs and make a meaningful contribution to the economic growth of Ghana.
Bright Simons, vice president of Policy Think Tank IMANI Africa, is one of the civil society members who demanded more examination of the agreement.
“Under a Ghanaian law requiring the government to seek parliamentary approval for major international business transactions, even if masked through a locally incorporated special purpose vehicle (SPV), the transaction would be subject to Parliamentary ratification because Hannam Investments is domiciled overseas.”
Additionally, he mentioned that if the Ghanaian Parliament decides to implement strict oversight, as the constitution suggests. To navigate through the maze of committee inquiries and discover the truth about this romantic arrangement, Hannam will require all of his SAS dexterity. And maybe three times as charming as he has been in ministerial chambers thus far.
