The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has criticized Tracy Owusu Addo, the wife of rapper Sarkodie, for her statements regarding the Tema Port’s ownership.
Gyamfi refuted the assertion that former President John Dramani Mahama sold the Tema Port to a foreign entity for perpetual management.
He clarified that the agreement made was a Build Operate Transfer (B.O.T) arrangement, which permitted the company to finance the expansion and development of the port and then manage it for 15 years before full control reverts to the government.
He emphasized that this approach was chosen to conserve government funds for other developmental projects to alleviate the citizens’ hardships.
“I recently heard Sarkodie’s wife displaying ignorance about why Mahama would sell Tema Port. However, Build Operate and Transfer (B.O.T) is not equivalent to selling a port. It’s a financial strategy for government projects that avoids upfront expenditure. The company in question was initially granted a 20-year concession by Kufuor’s administration in 2004.
“With this backdrop, Mahama negotiated for them to use their finances to enhance the port, and by 2030, after 15 years, the state will regain ownership. Currently, the state still retains a percentage. It’s important to clarify this due to the misinformation circulating,” he explained in Twi during an interview with Adom TV.\
Background:
Tracy Owusu Addo entered the debate surrounding the impounded Global Fund donation of essential health supplies at the Tema Port.
Her intervention, which seemed to provide an informal explanation for the news-making incident, quickly gained a political dimension as activists offered additional insights.
Tracy’s commentary highlighted the government’s purported 15% stake in Tema Port and the control exerted by a French billionaire over the facility.
“Gov.’s stake in the Tema Port is currently only 15%. We do not have a say in what happens at our Port since 2014. It is owned by French billionaire Bolloré who owns 17 other ports in West Africa,” the post read.
She attached a link to a 2021 Africa Confidential report titled: “SPECIAL REPORT: How Vincent Bollor won control of Ghana’s biggest port.”
The responses to her post were polarized, with some supporting and others criticizing her stance.
