Nana Frema Busia Petitions Special Prosecutor/Media Commission on "Agyapa" Deal

Nana Afua Frema Busia

I thank God Almighty who sees the secret intents of men, for the total vindication of my insightful public interest position on the Agyapa deal by Special Prosecutor Amidu who has stated categorically that the Agyapa deal does not meet appropriate anti-corruption, probity and accountability standards after a corruption-risk assessment.

Whereas I seek a National media Commission Review into the seeming politically motivated disablement of my article titled "Agyapa: hidden DILEMMAS of a gold deal" from CitiFmonline portal, let me deal first with a relational and pivotal issue of integrated corruption in the Agyapa deal as opined upon by the Special Prosecutor with which I disagree.

Honourable and Esteemed Special Prosecutor, It is quite inconceivable, Indeed, it cannot be true, that a Foreign Company "IMARA" could have smuggled Databank as a decoy into the Agyapa deal and arrogate all agreed payments to IMARA. What would the purpose be? to shortchange Databank and its powerful affiliates who initiated IMARA into the deep blue deal? On the contrary, this would be an aberration that does not even qualify as a proverbial old wives tale!

This is because "Agyapa" is a Ghana Gold Royalty Sovereign deal. Thus, the only way IMARA could smuggle Databank onto its "financially loaded bossom" is if the "Sovereign powers" of Ghana were ceded to IMARA for collusive self - interest by the Ghana team.

Let me please inquire, Who conceptualized and drafted the Agyapa deal on behalf of Ghana? Who and what entity is the Ultimate Promoter of the Agyapa deal? Who is the source of all the transaction Advisors and all parties involved in the deal? What is the relationship of IMARA and Databank to the deal broker Finance Minister? Who brought IMARA into the deal to do a convoluted twisting to include Databank? How exactly did IMARA smuggle Databank into Ghana's sovereign deal?... Where were the Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori Attah and the Senior Minister Mr Yaw Osafo Marfo when Data Bank in which the Finance Minister has ownership interest, was being smuggled by IMARA into the Agyapa gold deal?

IS IT Not rather as clear as crystal that IMARA was rather smuggled into the deal as a decoy to collect all the $$$ payments on behalf of Databank and its Ghana Financial Management deal cookers in a similar quid pro quo of Kofi Osafo Marfo, the Senior Minister's son being smuggled into the highest level of the Agyapa deal by a California Company?

IS IT NOT rather obvious that the Agyapa deal with all its financial gimmickry treats Ghanaians as "financial idiots" who should be naively grateful for wool pulled over our eyes?

Consequently, the conclusion that Databank was smuggled into the deal by IMARA, the south African company seems inverted and merely invokes cynicism. It is at variance to and inconsistent with the grounded facts and should be subject to further insightful review with an addendum or supplementary Special Prosecutor clarification report.

Yes, I am Seeking a Review by the National Media Commission as to why my Public interest article titled " Agyapa: Hidden DILEMMAS of a Royalty Gold deal " written with appropriate finesse, has been suppressed from public readership by Citifm. The article which postulated that Agyapa had self - interest corruption hallmarks violative of legal and ethical standards written all over it, as confirmed by the Special Prosecutor, was submitted to CitiFmon 14th Sept. 2020 for exclusive publication with first right of refusal. On 15th Sept 2020, I requested that it receive appropriate internal approval prior to it being duly published on the 16th Sept 2020. On the I8th of Sept 2020, the online editor confirmed that a lot of people had read it after I had been assured that CitiFmhad a big platform that will generate needed engagement. My prior articles on CitiFmhad been read by 8,000 to 10,000 persons which made my articles qualify in the category of the most read. The idea was to do a series of corruption articles on NDC/ NPP comparative corruption leading up to the election, culminating in an anti-corruption program/ campaign.

Yet as at the 20th of Sept 2020 CitiFmhad surreptitiously and intentionally taken down my article, refused to answer my query or reinstate the article in clear ethical violation of its media mandate.

I am well informed and have cross-checked that online publications remain in perpetuity unless specifically taken down by the publisher.

Thus, CitiFmshould explains why they have acted to suppress free protected speech consistent with the tenets of true Democracy. My article's objective was to deepen good governance in an era of freedom of information after the article ostensibly met the Citifm internal publication criteria.

Furthermore, the article is not offensive in any way, it did not incite violence or promote crime. On the contrary, it is consistent with accountable and ethical governance and anti-corruption governmental stance. It is also critically, not in favour of supposed competence being used to justify palpable corruption.

• The issue is, on what legal and or moral basis could CitiFmhave committed this speech suppression faux pas?

• Is this in conformity with ethical journalistic practice?

1. I Call on the National Media Commission to institute appropriate public sanctions on CitiFmfollowing requested review.

2. I call on The Ghana journalist association to condemn this regressive Act by Citifm.

3. I call on the Owner of CitiFm "Mr Nick Amarteifio" to call CitiFmto order and to self -Correction by repairing the damage done to Ghana's progressive media landscape by suppressing the article from its wide readership in order to shield the incumbent H.E.Akufo Addo government from interrogation of its actual record on corruption and to assess economic management from the perspective of corruption competence in an era of Ghana Beyond Aid with empty national coffers. This is not the time for projects predicated on self-dealing and conflicts of interest rather than National Interest.

4. I call on all right-thinking Ghanaians to boycott CitiFm until the Agyapa article is reinstated with credible explanation and appropriate public apology.

• This is because the Surreptitious disablement in the hope that it will not be discovered is itself the definition of corruption which is prevalent in segments of the media where falsehoods are often peddled and the truth is covered up for whatever secret deals.

• Covering up my Agyapa article is discernible as Citifm assistance to an incumbent government that is discomfited by truthful information on a major financial project that is discredited at inception by its own indiscretions and timing going into an election

• This is certainly an integrity challenge for a mega station that holds others to scrutiny and is on the forefront of environmental and other public campaigns and humane support on educational and other causes. To backslide into a Speech Suppression ditch in tacit support on an issue of governmental corruption and good governance retraction is most disquieting and disappointing

CitiFm should lead a sanitizing of corrupt media practice by first redeeming itself and its image on this issue with the assistance of the National Media Commission and other identified stakeholders.

THANK YOU.

Attn: Hon Martin Amidu
Special Prosecutor
RE: Agyapa conclusionary Error?

Attn: Mr Yaw  Boafo Ayeboafo
National Media  Commission
Re:  CitiFmAgyapa Free Speech Suppression!

Cc. Mr Suleman Braimah
West African Media Foundation

Cc Mr Affail Monney
Ghana Journalist Association

Cc. Mr. Samuel Attah Mensah
Citifm: Executive Director

GENERAL PUBLIC

Email: busiafordemocracy @Yahoo.com