Communication Minister Haruna Iddrisu has lashed out at sections of the media and social commentators for grossly misinforming the general public on aspects of the GT-Vodafone deal.

The Kufuor government came under heavy attack for what critics say was a give-away of 70 per cent shares of GT to Vodafone even when a lucrative offer was presented by Telecom South Africa.

According to the critics, the previous government turned down an offer of $1.6 billion from Telecom South Africa and rather settled for $900 million from Vodafone accusing the Kufuor regime of underhand dealings with the latter.

But on Good Morning Ghana, a news paper review programme hosted by Randy Abbey on Metro TV on Thursday, Mr. Iddrisu said that allegation is a misunderstanding of the issues.

Describing those critics as “mourners shedding more tears than the deceased,” the Communication Minister said the $1.6 billion was the enterprise value of GT, i.e. 100 per cent value of GT prior to sale.

He noted that Telecom South Africa offered to pay $947 million, $47 million more, than the amount Vodafone offered for the 70 per cent share of the enterprise value.

The rest remains the value owned by the government of Ghana.

This misinformation notwithstanding, Mr Iddrisu maintained the previous government threw caution to the wind and as a result the country failed to get value for money in aspects of the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) signed with Vodafone.

He did not understand why the Kufuor regime subtly coerced the National Communications Authority to add a $27 million 3G technology to the SPA, when that technology was not an asset of GT.

He believed government could have negotiated a separate deal for the technology which would have brought more money for the country.

He gave the assurance that government will re-engage Vodafone UK on the 3G technology, the decoupling of the GT University as well as the fibre optic backbone in order to secure more value for money for the state.

But ex-Deputy Communication Minister Fred Opare Ansah who was also on the show said the sale of the 3.G technology was standard practice and did not amount to a loss of money to the state.

He said the previous Rawlings led NDC government in a similar fashion and with the approval of the NCA divested the Westel telecommunication and incorporated the then GSM license technology into the SPA.

On the fibre optic backbone the Suhum MP said it will not be prudent for government to repossess the technology fearing it would not be able to manage it with the business mindset.

According to him, it will take huge monetary investment, one that was not available to government, to complete the construction of the Fibre Optic Backbone.

He was utterly surprised that the sector minister who until his portfolio argued vehemently in parliament that Vodafone can have access to the uncompleted backbone but be given specific time lines to complete it, will now lead a campaign to take that same technology away from them.

On the allegation that Ghanaians were shortchanged, Opare Ansah said Telecom South Africa did not even meet the basic criteria set out for the investors.

The strategic invester advertised for then was required to have expertise in managing 1 million fixed lines and 6 million mobile lines, something Telecom South Africa did not have.

He said the offer provided by South Africa was less lucrative considering their demand to have access to all rural lines the fibre optic backbone and other landed properties.


Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana