K.T Hammond fumes over $73m office complex for GNPC

Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Kwabena Tahir Hammond, has urged the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, to order the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to render proper accounts to the House .

According to the former Deputy Energy Minister in the erstwhile President Kufuor administration, the corporation is recklessly splashing cash on less important things and asked the Speaker “to pin the GNPC down for proper accounting formalities and details”.

He noted that the GNPC does to listen to Parliament and stakeholders in the petroleum and energy industry when it comes to disbursement of funds, adding that they always like to do things their own way.

He made the declaration on the floor of Parliament Thursday as the Chairman of the Select Committee on Mines and Energy, Alhaji Amadu Bukari Sorogo prayed the House to adopt a report on the 2016 programme of activities of the GNPC. Mr. Hammond referred to page 10, paragraph (13.2) of the report which dictates that the corporation needs over $73m for the construction of an office complex, contrary to some $43m approved by parliament.

“I don’t think the corporation is getting the presence of mind when it comes to expenditure. While Parliament approved the money for the office complex at place around Airport Redevelopment Area called Energy City, it came to our notice that the Corporation had set aside funds to rent another edifice for the same purpose in Tema. It is so confusing how GNPC is using the nation nation’s money. GNPC is wasting Ghana’s money,” K.T Hammond charged.

The MP for Old Tafo and Ranking Member on the Select Committee on Finance, Dr. Anthony Akoto -Osei expressed shock about moves by GNPC to construct a National Emergency Response Center. He also berated the arbitrary powers that the corporation has allocated to itself.

Dr. Akoto Osei charged the speaker to drag the Minister of Petroleum to the floor of Parliament to answer questions on the activities of the GNPC.