Japhet Aryiku, Executive Director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, has denied claims that the Ghanaian government has sold or leased the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre to the foundation for a 50-year term.
These accusations, made by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, allege that the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration transferred control of the Centre to a newly established private foundation without a proven track record for 50 years.
On the Citi Breakfast Show on August 23, 2024, Mr. Aryiku addressed these claims, stating, “There have been allegations that the government has sold the Centre to us, the Du Bois Foundation, but that is not true.
There are also claims that it has been leased to us, which is also incorrect.”
Mr. Aryiku clarified that the actual arrangement is a partnership between the Du Bois Museum Foundation and the Ministry of Tourism.
This partnership is intended to raise funds, develop, operate, and manage the Centre for an initial 30-year period, with a possible 20-year extension.
He also noted that the agreement does not require the government to make any payments to the foundation if the partnership is terminated.
“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.
