The government has not taken any definite decision on the outcome of investigations conducted into the crisis at the Volta River Authority, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Energy, told the Ghana News Agency.
The Minister spoke to the GNA in a telephone interview through the Public Relations Officer at the Ministry. The GNA had contacted the Minister on allegations in part of the media that President John Agyekum Kufuor had dismissed Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, Chief Executive of VRA and the Board of Directors of the Authority.
Dr Nduom said as at the time he was talking at 1715 hours on Thursday no such decision had been taken by the President and added that a decision could not be taken without his knowledge.
The Energy Minister on Wednesday told Journalists that he was in consultation with President Kufuor over the recommendations of a Committee he set up to investigate allegation made against Dr Wereko- Brobby.
He said the Committee basically exonerated Dr Wereko-Brobby from allegations of mismanagement but said for now, the decision of the CEO to step aside for investigations to be completed and other measures taken during the workers' agitations would remain as they were.
He said the report and its recommendations covered three main areas - collective bargaining, specific allegations against Dr Wereko-Brobby and the Board of the Authority and technical and financial matters in relation to the running of VRA.
Dr Ndoum said the collective bargaining aspect was handled with the appointment of a retired labour expert whose recommendations settled the issue. What remained to be done was to implement the recommendations.
The second area of the report dwelt on the specific allegations against Dr Wereko-Brobby and the Board bordering on salaries, impropriety in the procurement of cars for management staff, mismanagement of provident funds, impropriety in the procurement of crude oil and changes in working hours.
The Minister said there were no adverse findings against the Chief Executive in all these areas except that his management style caused conflict. On the Board, the Committee said it had not exercised sufficient control over the activities of both the CEO and the workers. It had also not implemented the company's policies effectively.
Dr Ndoum said the main findings of the Committee that needed attention was the third area, which covered technical and financial matters in relation to the running of the VRA, especially the running of the Strategic Reserve Plant.
Dr Ndoum said he had written a report to the President on all issues raised and expressed the hope that they would together take a concrete decision on the issues.
This would not cover only the recommendations but also come out with a clear policy path for the Energy Sector towards reforms. He reiterated that the Thermal Sector had incurred a deficit of ?950bn, saying that there was the need to further investigates the running of the Strategic Reserve Plant in order to come out with a decision that was best for the company and the country.
The Minister said decisions that would be taken in consultation with the President would not be limited specifically to the recommendations of the Committee. The decision would broadly be geared towards reforming the energy sector but would take cognisance of the recommendations.
