GNPC faces parliament over “dubious” payments

The Parliamentary select committee on Mines and Energy has ordered the management of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to appear before it by close of day today December 1.

Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee of parliament, Alhaji Amadu Sorogo in an interview indicated that management of the GNPC has been officially informed and is expected to appear between 3pm to 5pm.

They (GNPC) are to answer for the payment of ex-gratia to some four former managers of the company whom according to the corporation, served between 12 and 21 years.

The four persons are Tsatsu Tsikata, Former Chief Executive, Nana Boakye Asafo Adjei, also a former Chief Executive, Ms Esther Cobbah, former Public Affairs manager and finally Field Evaluation and Development Manager, Benjamin Dagadu.

The GNPC had been challenged by a former deputy minister of energy, K.T Hammond to confirm or deny whether they had paid any monies to Tsatsu Tsikata whom he [K.T Hammond] accused of running down the company.

In its response, the GNPC said “the Board of Directors of the Corporation, after in-depth review of the situation, concluded that the payment of the end-of-service benefits to these management personnel, who had made invaluable contributions to the development of the Corporation, is a valid obligation. The Board took the position that meeting this obligation, however belatedly, is the right thing to do.”

There are however questions being raised as to whether the monies paid these four persons was ex-gratia (which is not compulsory but just a moral obligation) or it was an End of Service Benefit (which should be spelt out in their letters of employment).