The Maritime and Dock Workers Union (MDU) is threatening legal action against the government over the Atuabo Free Port project which is being executed by Lonhro Ports Limited.
The Union says some sections of the contract for the construction of the port contradicts the laws of Ghana.
Five Members of Parliament have already filed a suit asking the Sekondi High Court to remove a restriction clause in the agreement preventing further expansion of the Takoradi Port.
Parliament, in July, approved an agreement between the government and Lonrho Ports, for the development of an oil and gas Freeport in the Western Region.
The agreement bars Takoradi Port from further expansion until Lonrho has built its Freeport, recovered all its cost, and made enough profit.
[contextly_sidebar id=”NWTZFraWDBYwdCMANL1MMEP8MK7ujDa4″]However, the General Secretary of the Union, Mr Daniel Owusu Koranteng has said the restriction will collapse the Takoradi port and render its workers jobless.
According to him: “We intend to take legal action. Our lawyers are studying the document during the commercial agreement that was rectified and we think that there is a basis for us to take that legal action because there are some portions of the commercial agreement that contradicts some of the laws of this country.”
Mr Koranteng believes the deal is a bad one for the country.
“We think that this is not right because it talks about security for the facilities of the company. And that’s the security of the state. And we all know what the ports could do. If you open a port and you don’t secure them very well you shall have all manner of problems. One important thing is that companies are suppose to behave as good corporate citizens. They should come into our country and strengthen our laws and not to violate our laws. We believe strongly that if we don’t take care we will have another judgement debt on hand because all the provisions we think that they are not right and government cannot be leaving it to those provision,” he added.
When completed, the Atuabo gas processing plant will generate about 150 million standard cubits of gas per day.
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana