Occupy Ghana demands GH¢4.6bn Interoperability documents

Pressure Group Occupy Ghana is demanding from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) copies of all documents and agreements regarding the Mobile Money Interoperability contract which was initiated under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration but subsequently abrogated by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

In a statement dated May 16 and copied to the Office of the President, the Finance Ministry and the Chief of Staff, they listed documents, including those between the BoG and Sibton Switch Systems Limited, specifically documents relating to and surrounding the termination of the Sibton Contract, documents pertaining to the new contract signed with the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) to execute the Mobile Money (MoMo) Interoperability project and all related tender documents and legal opinions obtained by the central bank in relation to both parties; Sibton Switch and GhIPSS, as those to be provided by the central bank.

The group has also given the BoG “not more than 14 calendar days after the date of issuance of this letter” to produce the requested documents in accordance with the Right to Information under Article 21 of the 1992 Ghana Constitution.

Their request follows the brouhaha surrounding the government’s newly introduced MoMo Interoperability service to provide seamless transfer of funds from one wallet to another across all networks.

Claims emerging after the launch of the service by Vice-President Dr Bawumia last Thursday, suggested that the NDC, as part of efforts to enable the MMI service under its administration, contracted Sibton Switch Systems Limited to set up the system at GH¢4.6 billion, which would be managed by GhIPSS.

A former Governor and a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Nashiru Issahaku and Dr Johnson Asiama respectively, following the reports, rubbished the claims, maintaining that the central bank followed due processes as far as the procurement phase of the project was concerned, adding that the bank did the appropriate thing as far as securing the contract and the laying of its terms were concerned.

Mr Asiama, particularly, said he had been involved in the entire process, and that the GH¢4.6 billion amount which was being projected by the NPP was false.