Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, has accused the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration of handing over the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre to a newly private incorporated foundation to control.
According to him, the private entity known as the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation Ghana LBG., with no track record is expected to control and manage the Du Bois Centre for 50 years.
In a social media post [X] on Wednesday, July 10, Ablakwa stated that the agreement was signed on September 22, 2023, by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame.
The agreement allegedly grants the foundation significant control over the centre’s management, including the appointment of a majority of the board of directors and the board chairman.
The Government of Ghana, on the other hand, is said to have limited representation, with only three appointees to the board.
“The W.E.B. Du Bois Centre will now be managed and totally controlled by a private entity known as the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation Ghana LBG. The transfer agreement was signed by Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Hon. Godfred Yeboah Dame — both representing the Government of Ghana. They signed the transfer agreement on September 22, 2023.”
“Under the 50-year agreement, the foundation will appoint a majority of 6 board of directors while the Government of Ghana appoints only 3. The foundation will also appoint the board chairman giving them absolute control. The bizarre agreement also ensures that only 2 Government of Ghana nominees will have top management positions as the foundation enjoys an unlimited number.”
Read his full post below:
