Govt leases Du Bois Centre to private company for 50 years – Ablakwa alleges

by

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.”