Japhet Aryiku, the Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, addressed recent claims that the Ghanaian government had sold or leased the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre to the foundation for 50 years.
These accusations were made by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, who criticised the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration for allegedly transferring control of the Centre to a newly established private foundation with no prior experience, under a long-term agreement.
Responding to the allegations on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, August 23, 2024, to clarify the matter, Mr Aryiku firmly denied the claims, stating, “There have been allegations that the government has sold the place to us, the Du-Bois Foundation, but that is not true. There are also allegations that the place has been leased to the Bu-Bois Foundation, but that is also not true.”
Mr Aryiku explained that the arrangement in question is a collaborative partnership between the Du Bois Museum Foundation and the Ministry of Tourism. The primary goal of this partnership is to secure funding, develop, operate, and manage the Du Bois Centre.
The agreement is set for an initial term of 30 years, with the possibility of extending it for an additional 20 years.
He also highlighted that there is no provision in the agreement obligating the government to make any payments to the foundation, even in the event of a termination of the partnership.
“The agreement that we signed with the Ghana government is that the Du Bois Museum Foundation in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism will raise the money, develop place, operate and manage the place for a period of 50 years. That 50 years is broken up into thirty and twenty.
“That is, we will be there for the first thirty years under the agreement. At the end of the thirty years…we will meet with the then minister, whoever is in charge and assess our relationship. If we are happy with each other, if the Du Bois Foundation feels that the government of Ghana has treated us well and if the government of Ghana feels that we have managed the place well, then we continue with the next twenty years.
“Now to this very important clause in the agreement. If we are not happy and cannot continue with the relationship, the Bu-Bios Foundation will walk away from the $50-80 million that we would have spent at the centre. There is no provision that states that the government has to pay back anything, we will walk away and leave the management, and the operation back to the Ghana government,” he stated.
Mr Aryiku added that “the reason why we want to be there for a longer time is because the place has deteriorated. We don’t believe that the Ghana government or its agencies have the knowledge or the excitement about the life or works of Du Bois to care most about the place,” he stated.
