Wontumi accuses Mahama of rebranding Akufo-Addo’s Agyapa deal as GoldBod

Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, has made accusations against President John Mahama. He claims Mahama is reviving the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal under a new name—GoldBod.

On the Wontumi Morning Show, Wontumi alleged that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) opposed Agyapa during Akufo-Addo’s administration. Now, he says they have adopted the same idea for their own benefit.

“When Akufo-Addo introduced Agyapa, they rejected it outright,” Wontumi stated. “Today, the same concept has returned as GoldBod.”

The Agyapa Royalties deal was introduced in 2020. It aimed to monetize Ghana’s mineral royalties through a special vehicle called Agyapa Royalties Limited. This would allow Ghana to raise capital on the London Stock Exchange.

The deal was designed to leverage future mineral royalties for upfront investments in infrastructure and development. However, it faced intense scrutiny from civil society and anti-corruption groups.

Concerns were raised about transparency and potential loss of national control over resources. The opposition NDC also criticized the valuation of assets involved in the deal.

Due to public pressure and a critical assessment by the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the Akufo-Addo government suspended Agyapa.

Chairman Wontumi believes that Mahama's revival of a similar structure shows an acknowledgment of its merits.

“They saw it as a bad idea when we proposed it,” he said. “Now they are repackaging it to make it seem like their own idea.”