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North
Tongu
lawmaker
Samuel
Okudzeto
Ablakwa
has
accused
the
Akufo-Addo
government
of
signing
an
agreement
to
hand
over
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
to
a
recently
incorporated
foundation
under
‘disturbingly
opaque’
and
‘uncompetitive’
circumstances.
Ablakwa
says
under
this
agreement,
the
foundation
which
he
said
has
no
significant
track
record,
will
control
and
manage
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
for
an
incredible
50
years.
Yes,
you
read
right—
50
years!
“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,”
he
said
in
a
statement
on
his
X
platform…
Below
is
the
full
statement…
UNENDING
BATTLE
AGAINST
STATE
CAPTURE—
RESISTING
THE
AKUFO-ADDO/BAWUMIA
DUBIOUS,
CRONY
AND
SACRILEGIOUS
50-YEAR
HAND
OVER
OF
GHANA’S
ICONIC
W.E.B.
DU
BOIS
CENTRE
It
appears
there
are
no
sacred
groves
for
the
perpetrators
of
the
Government
of
Ghana’s
mindless
State
Capture.
The
latest
unbelievable
victim
is
the
iconic
and
globally
renowned
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
located
in
the
prime
Cantonments
area
of
the
national
capital.
The
Akufo-Addo/Bawumia
government
has
under
disturbingly
opaque
and
uncompetitive
circumstances
signed
a
crony
agreement
to
hand
over
Ghana’s
internationally
acclaimed
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
to
a
recently
incorporated
foundation.
This
foundation
with
no
significant
track
record
will
under
the
unconscionable
agreement
control
and
manage
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
for
an
incredible
50
years.
Yes,
you
read
right—
50
years!
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.
The
other
parties
at
the
receiving
end
of
this
apparent
sweetheart
agreement
are
Japhet
Aryiku
and
Deborah
Rose
who
signed
for
the
Museum
Foundation
New
York,
and
Japhet
Aryiku
and
Humphrey
A-Dake
also
signing
for
Museum
Foundation
Ghana.
Japhet
Aryiku
describes
himself
on
his
foundation’s
website
amongst
others
as
a
Chase
retiree
and
a
philanthropist.
He
is
the
Executive
Director
of
the
foundation.
Further
parliamentary
oversight
reveals
that
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Museum
Foundation
Ghana
LBG
was
incorporated
in
Ghana
on
31st
August,
2021.
Japhet
Aryiku
and
Humphrey
Darke-Ayim
are
documented
as
the
beneficial
owners.
Interestingly,
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Museum
Foundation,
USA
was
incorporated
in
the
State
of
Delaware
on
December
12,
2019.
They
claim
to
have
a
New
York
office.
The
foundation’s
filing
number
is
7755436
and
EIN:
84-4028962.
An
assessment
of
their
annual
nonprofit
tax
filings
in
the
US
since
incorporation
show
that
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Museum
Foundation,
USA
has
never
raised
total
revenues
beyond
US$315,000.00.
Their
current
total
assets
amount
to
only
US$396,000.00.
That
notwithstanding,
the
Akufo-Addo/Bawumia
Government
believes
this
foundation
is
suddenly
capable
of
raising
some
U$34million
to
invest
in
so-called
modernization
of
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre.
Something
the
promoters
have
not
done
anywhere
before
this
sweetheart
deal.
It
is
most
shocking
that
the
Government
of
Ghana
would
be
comfortable
with
this
lopsided
agreement.
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.
It
is
particularly
incredulous
that
under
the
sleazy
agreement,
the
foundation
will
take
possession
of
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
and
have
a
2-year
period
to
raise
an
initial
US$15million.
This
sweetheart
deal
smacks
of
yet
another
dubious
work
and
pay
arrangement.
It
remains
a
mystery
why
the
Akufo-Addo/Bawumia
government
has
failed
to
present
this
agreement
to
Parliament
for
scrutiny.
Without
parliamentary
scrutiny
and
ratification
of
the
scandalous
agreement,
the
new
managers
are
readying
to
take
over
instructing
all
vendors
and
clients
at
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
to
immediately
vacate
the
premises.
Considering
the
towering
global
legacy
of
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
and
what
his
exceptional
academic
laurels,
black
liberation
accomplishments
and
his
inspirational
sacrifices
for
Ghana
when
he
abandoned
his
US
citizenship
and
took
up
Ghanaian
citizenship
to
help
Osagyefo
Kwame
Nkrumah
in
our
national
reconstruction
after
independence,
why
will
any
Government
of
Ghana
relinquish
control
over
such
a
priceless
and
sacred
place
which
is
one
of
the
few
unique
spaces
representing
the
soul
of
our
nation?
Many
Africans
in
the
diaspora
and
scholars
from
all
over
the
world
embark
on
unforgettable
journeys
to
Ghana
for
a
special
pilgrimage,
and
to
honour
the
memory
of
the
first
black
doctorate
graduate
from
Harvard
and
a
founding
father
of
the
civil
rights
movement
when
they
arrive
at
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
in
Accra.
This
latest
State
Capture
transcends
land
looting,
it
is
a
grave
assault
and
a
desecration
of
our
heritage,
our
African
pride,
our
collective
struggles
and
everything
we
represent
to
the
global
community.
This
marauding
government
ought
to
understand
in
clear
terms
that
there
are
some
sacred
groves
they
cannot
mess
around
with
with
their
insatiable
greed.
Government
cannot
tell
us
it’s
engaged
in
this
desecration
because
they
are
broke
—
they
found
US$58.1million
to
dig
the
world’s
most
expensive
pit
at
the
same
time
they
were
negotiating
with
Mr.
Aryiku
and
Mr.
Darke-Ayim.
In
any
case,
what
has
government
done
with
all
the
revenues
the
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
has
generated
all
these
decades?
All
true
Pan
Africanists
must
rise
and
resist
this
abomination.
The
Minority
Caucus
in
Parliament
is
resolved
to
in
the
next
few
days
summon
the
Foreign
Minister
and
Attorney-General
to
Parliament
to
explain
the
rationale
for
this
international
embarrassment,
monumental
desecration
and
why
they
are
enforcing
such
a
sacrilegious
agreement
without
parliamentary
scrutiny
and
ratification
as
Ghana’s
Constitution
requires.
The
Akufo-Addo/Bawumia
regime
has
been
relentless
with
their
pathetic
and
fruitless
onslaught
on
Nkrumah’s
unmatched
legacy,
which
was
once
again
exhibited
by
their
incurably
uncouth
Running
Mate
in
Kumasi
yesterday
when
he
preposterously
claimed
Akufo-Addo
has
done
more
for
Ghana
than
Nkrumah
—
but
we
say,
enough
is
enough!
We
shall
not
sit
idly
by
and
lose
our
famed
W.E.B.
Du
Bois
Centre
for
50
good
years
—
who
knows,
we
may
never
ever
get
it
back.
State
Capture
shall
surely
be
defeated!
For
God
and
Country.
Ghana
First