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Former Chairman for the Public Interest and Accountability Committee, Dr Steve Manteaw has kicked against the mode for which the son of the Senior Minister Osafo-Maafo and Gabby Otchere-Darko, a relative of the Finance Minister and the President of Ghana were selected to handle Agyapa Royalties deal.

According to him, the son of the Senior Minister, Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo and the cousin of the President of Ghana, Gabby Otchere-Darko are not monopoly over knowledge and expertise to deal with the country’s royalties.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, he said even though the son of Osafo-Maafo and Gabby Otchere-Darko may have the expertise to help the nation, there are equally knowledgeable people or even more in this field than them to handle the royalties of the nation’s mineral resources.

“The son of Osafo-Maafo and Gabby Otchere-Darko may have the expertise to help the nation and also believe that there are some people in the country somewhere who are equally knowledgeable or more knowledgeable in this field than Osafo-Maafo’s son and Gabby Otchere-Darko,” he said.

“Unless that they want to tell us that Gabby Otchere-Darko and Osafo-Maafo’s son are monopoly over knowledge and expertise; when God was creating the world, He blessed only them with knowledge and expertise,” he stressed.

He added that even though it is not the fault of Kofi Osafo-Maafo to be the son of the Senior Minister and Gabby Otchere-Darko as the relative of the Finance Minister and the President of Ghana, the mineral resources belong to the entire nation and not the bona fide property of their families.

He was of the view that there should have been adverts, announcing such an opportunity for other Ghanaians who have the same or more knowledge and expertise than Gabby Otchere-Darko and Kofi Bosompem Osafo-Maafo to apply for the job as well.

He suggested that the government could have made the process so transparent by ensuring that the family and friends of Gabby Otchere-Darko and Kofi Osafo-Maafo on the panel for the selection of applicants will recuse themselves to allow neutrals to appraise the knowledge of Gabby Otchere-Darko and Kofi Osafo-Maafo and other applicants.

To him, the selection of Gabby Otchere-Darko and Kofi Osafo-Maafo would have been transparent and not raise any eyebrows if the opportunity had been given to others to bid for the same position in a fair contest.

“ . . if there is an opportunity like this, they should do adverts so that other Ghanaians who feel they have the same or more knowledge and expertise than Gabby and Osafo-Maafo’s son can equally apply for the job,” he stated.