Investigate Energy Ministry officials - ACEP calls on Mahama

The Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to investigate two officials of the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum over what it describes as “insider dealings” in the award of contracts in the oil and gas industry.

According to the energy policy think-tank, the recent forgery of the signature of the sector minister by a former administrator at Miura Petroleum in a bid to get a concession at Cape Three Points is just one of the many hitherto uncovered deals perpetrated by some officials at the Ministry.

“ACEP’s investigation shows that there is more to the issue than what is reported by the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum,” a release by the think-tank said.

Signed by Executive Director Mohamed Amin Adam, the release said the Ministry was economical with the truth on the issue, which is under police investigation.

The release fingered a Deputy Minister and a Director as favouring an oil company in many deals.

“We suspect, therefore, that some officials of the Ministry are engaged in insider dealings with some oil companies and we are at pains to know how the Ministry can be fair to other companies when important players in the Ministry have interests,” it alleged.

It said any internal investigations being conducted by the Ministry must, therefore, be halted for an extensive investigation by President Mahama.

The Policy suggested also that President Mahama’s investigation should be extended to the petroleum policy of oil companies raising their own capital to finance oil operations in the country.

“The president must, therefore, launch an open, transparent and fair investigation into the matter and bring finality to it, to renew the faith of the investor community in Ghana’s oil and gas industry as further delays could further damage Ghana’s reputation as investment destination.”