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SML’s minerals contract an attempt to reintroduce Agyapa deal – Bright Simons
Bright Simons, the Honorary Vice President of IMANI Africa, has expressed concern about a new contract that was set to be awarded to the controversial Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML).
He revealed that SML had signed a contract to receive 0.75 percent of every mineral Ghana would sell if the Fourth Estate hadn’t exposed their operations.
In an interview with Bernard Avle on Citi TV’s Point of View, Mr Simons argued that the new contract was essentially an attempt to reintroduce the Agyapa deal.
“Until the Fourth Estate intervened with its exposé, and IMANI joined, this matter would not have been at the stage it is currently in. We were going to give them an additional contract, and that contract would have required that for every barrel of oil we produce in this country, we must give them 0.75 percent, that’s almost a dollar, every barrel,” he said.
According to him, “Every mineral such as gold, diamond, manganese, that every time we sell, we must give them 0.75 percent. The pattern of analysis is not about performance. Our argument is that this is Agyapa suit and tie, this is basically an attempt to reintroduce Agyapa [deal]. After Agyapa failed, that is for the upstream.”
The Agyapa royalties deal, which aimed to securitise Ghana’s mineral resources for development and cost $12 million, was abandoned due to strong opposition.
Mr Simons added that between 2016 and 2022, SML was the largest recipient of money in the energy sector.
“SML was the biggest recipient of money in the entire energy sector from the energy taxes in 2016 to 2022. Per the amount distribution…the amounts of money we paid to key agencies like Volta River Authority, Electricity Company of Ghana, out of taxes per year, compared to the about two hundred something per year they are receiving is lower,” he said.
On January 2, President Akufo-Addo commissioned KPMG to audit the contract between the GRA and SML. Following the submission of its report, KPMG disclosed that SML had been paid a total of GH¢1,061,054,778.00 from 2018 to the present.
Background
The Fourth Estate released an investigative piece in December 2023 indicting SML, the GRA, and the Ministry of Finance.
Fourth Estate accused GRA of awarding SML a 10-year contract that accrues SML $100 million annually. It also raised concerns about alleged underhand dealings.
SML, after the report was released, debunked claims of being awarded a 10-year contract duration, insisting that it has been given a 5-year contract instead.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
