The Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Emir of Dubai, His Royal Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has a well-deserved global reputation for being honest, firm, fair and dynamic.
Those are the personal qualities that have enabled HRH Sheikh Mohammed Maktoum to shape the economy of Dubai in particular, and the rest of the UAE generally, in such spectacular fashion.
Sheikh Mohammed Maktoum will be horrified to hear that a company belonging to a member of the Dubai Royal Family, the AMERI Group, engaged in profiteering in a deal with Ghana - a nation suffering from debt distress and the debilitating effects of an acute power crisis on its economy.
Sheikh Maktoum, who is a just ruler, and a man of honour, is likely to take steps to remedy the situation, if approached by a joint-delegation made up of the most senior members of Ghana's Parliament's committee on finance, and those from the mines and energy committee, as well as leaders of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).
Dubai did not build its worldwide reputation as a global hub of international business through shady business deals - and its ruler will not countenance egregious profiteering by a UAE company if brought to his notice.
The Emir of Dubai will not tolerate the idea that a Norwegian conman with Pakistani roots, Umar Farooq Zahoor, a fugitive from justice sought by Norwegian and Swiss police for a series of frauds, running into tens of millions of dollars, took advantage of his friendship with His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, to rip Ghana off, in providing the country with 10 General Electric TM25000+ mobile gas turbine generating sets with a total output of 256 MW.
The AMERI Group is said to have outsourced the power project to a third party - in a separate deal it struck with the METKA Group of Greece: a Turkish subsidiary of which, Power Projects Limited, is executing the project in Ghana on its behalf. The Greek conglomerate is apparently earning in excess of US$360 million from its Ghana power project deal with the AMERI Group.
To resolve what is a clear-cut case of profiteering, in a fraudulent scheme (which therefore cannot be set in stone as a valid contract) designed by a criminal mind abusing his friendship with a member of the Dubai ruling family, to rip the Republic of Ghana off, why does Ghana not appeal directly to the Emir of Dubai to intervene in the matter, and get the AMERI Group to change its mind, and instead of the US$510 million 5-year build operate and transfer agreement it signed with Ghana, rather accept full and fair final payment of US$220 millions or thereabouts for the 10 General Electric TM2500+ mobile gas turbine generating sets it contracted to provide Ghana with - and for which our nation which will take a loan from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to purchase?
Given the situation our nation currently faces, the AfDB, will definitely be happy to provide long-term concessionary funding to Ghana, which will enable it to pay the AMERI Group off - with a sum that equals the current prevailing international market price, for the General Electric TM2500+ mobile gas turbine generating sets it provided the nation with: so that our country can take full possession of those 10 confounded mobile gas turbine generating sets.
Perhaps in meeting with the Emir of Dubai, HRH Sheikh Mohammed Maktoum, over the issue, the Ghanaian delegation from Parliament and the AGI, could also point out the fact that joint-venture partnerships between private-sector companies from Ghana and Dubai could process organic cocoa beans in Ghana for export to the Gulf and Middle East regions - and the regions further beyond both those areas in Asia.
Ditto joint-venture partnerships between Ghanaian and UAE companies to grow organic fruits and vegetables in Ghana for export to the UAE and those selfsame markets mentioned above
Perhaps out of this disaster, Ghana and the UAE could build mutually beneficial economic relationships, amongst their two peoples. Could the UAE not neutralise most of its considerable carbon footprint through joint-venture REDD+ agro-forestry tree plantations in Ghana, I ask? And would that not create wealth and jobs in both nations?
Let Ghana's Parliament and the AGI take leading roles in resolving this wretched AMERI Group 10 mobile gas turbine generating sets rip-off deal that takes our country for such a gigantic ride, creatively - by appealing directly to the Emir of Dubai, HRH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum: who might broker a just a settlement that results in an outcome that is fair to all the parties involved in this shabby tale of unparalleled ruthlessness and unfathomable greed.
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