Samuel Nartey George, the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology, and Innovations has boldly declared the managers of AirtelTigo are “enemies of the state”.
The sector minister noted that the AirtelTigo claimed to be purchased for $1 under the former Akufo-Addo Bawumia government now has a debt exceeding 3.5 billion Ghana Cedis on its books.
Speaking to the media in Parliament on Monday, March 24, Sam George further fired shots at those who oversaw the process of purchasing the AirtelTigo.
Sam George stated, “Those who managed the AirtelTigo process are enemies of our state and individuals who have no sense of patriotism. So for anybody to have told us that they bought AirtelTigo for 1 dollar, and now that we have taken over the ministry, ATC (American Tower Company), just one of the companies AirtelTigo owes, has presented us with a bill of 1.5 billion Ghana Cedis”.
“The American Embassy, along with their team, was in my office, and one of the major issues raised was the indebtedness to ATC. The debt sitting on the books of AirtelTigo exceeds 3.5 billion Ghana Cedis.
“So if someone told you that they bought it for 1 dollar, who is going to pay the 1.3 billion that is sitting there and accumulating interest?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, the president of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons made in an earlier post some months ago revealed Airtel-Tigo claimed to have been purchased for $1 and was poised to deliver a quick turnaround has projectly accumulated roughly $1.2 billion in debt.
Bright Simons in a post wrote, “ What the government is now telling us is that the Airtel-Tigo assets it proudly announced to have purchased for $1 and was poised to deliver a quick turnaround must have BY NOW accumulated roughly $1.2 billion in DEBT (i.e. most of the retained losses from the revenue statement reflect in supplier liabilities).
Airtel-Tigo owes even its core suppliers, like the American-owned company from which it rents the transmission towers to deliver its services here in Ghana. The company has thus “reported Ghana” to the US government”, he added.
Bright Simons added, “A privatisation plan was botched when the decision was made to go for some shady investors. By the time those dubious deals fell through (read the essay in this thread), the debt situation had become so bad that no one wanted to touch Airtel-Tigo with a long pole”.
The honourary Vice-president of IMANI Africa also revealed that the key strategists behind the Airtel-Tigo takeover are also the same ones driving the 5G monopoly idea.
He added, “Instead of focusing on this massive liability, the government is scheming to rather create a new 5G monopoly.
It is breathtaking. Literally. Still, we need to force the government to think through this mess. “We” the people”, Bright Simons stated.
