No €18m electronic waste recycling contract – Mahama Ayariga

Environment Minister Mahama Ayariga has denied illegally terminating an agreement for the setting up of a €18 million electronic waste recycling plant.

He said he couldn’t have abrogated a contract he knew anything about.

The firm, Debsther Klean has petitioned the Chief of Staff over the matter claiming they were selected by the minister to construct and operate an electronic waste recycling plant.

According to the company, the Minister later backtracked and gave the contract to another company.

But speaking to JOYNEWS, Mahama Ayariga explained that there is no contract in the first place as it is being reported in various media platforms.

Mr Ayariga said someone came to see him in his capacity as the sector Minister asking for permission to establish an electronic waste recycling plant.

“That person is saying that his plant would cost him €18 million. he is the one going to find his money and establish his plant and int he future when we [government] have electronic waste to recycle then he would fix the charge per volume of waste recycled and he would be paid.

“As we speak government is not giving anybody anything [permission] to establish an electronic waste recycling plant,” however he did not deny giving them the go-ahead to start.

“The Debsther people who are running around radio stations, they have not written to me wanting to establish a recycling plant and I have rejected it. They have gone around doing all sort of things, now they have gone to court”

Mr Ayariga said it is a very simple matter once the company has gone to court, they should wait for the court to make a determination whether they have a case.

In a separate development, the Attorney General has also been dragged to the Supreme Court over some provisions of the petroleum exploration and production law.

The suit filed by the Managing Partner of Fidelity Law Group, Lawyer Elikplim Agbemava insist Parliament lacks the power to make laws that allow government to contract loans without approval from the legislature.

Speaking to Joy News lawyer Agbemava explained the want the Supreme court to declare as unconstitutional Section 10 subsection 15 of the Petroleum Act, 2016 (Act 919) since it is contrary to Article 181 of the Constitution.