The Board of the struggling Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) yesterday held a crunch crisis meeting with the aim of finding a lasting solution to the massive problems that have characterized the one time viable company since the Atta Mills led
National Democratic Congress (NDC) assumed power. The meeting which began at about 10am yesterday lasted for about eight hours, but members could not arrive at a concrete solution.
Inside sources hinted the Daily Searchlight, that the crisis meeting was necessitated by the uproar which took centre stage at the TOR premises on Tuesday during which the workers of the company agitated for the removal of the Energy Minister, Dr. Oteng Adjei because he is ineffective, and that he cannot manage TOR. They also advocated for the removal of the President's Special Advisers on Energy, Messrs Ato Ahwoi and Tsatsu Tsikata from TOR.
According to reliable sources, after eight hours of the crunch crisis meeting which ended fruitlessly the Board finally decided to meet His Excellency John Evans Atta Mills at the Castle, Osu, in Accra to deliberate with him on how to find a lasting solution to the TOR problems.
The refinery has not been producing for the past weeks because of constraints occasioned by the interference of persons former president Rawlings described as 'greedy bastards' surrounding President Atta Mills.
The chanting workers who wore red armbands to signify that their eyes are red accused the minister and other energy advisors of the president who are top ranking members of the NDC as people working against the interest of the facility and Ghanaians as a whole.
Meanwhile Union leaders at the Tema Oil Refinery have turned down an invitation to meet with the National Security Coordinator, Larry Gbevlo Lartey. The meeting at the behest of the Security Coordinator -- was purportedly communicated to the workers via phone call, but Citi News sources say the aggrieved TOR workers declined to meet Mr. Gbevlo Lartey because they claim the invitation should have be relayed to them in writing. The workers held a durbar on Tuesday April 13, and called for the removal of the Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng Agyei and his deputy Hon Kofi Boah. They also asked the President to relieve Ato Ahwoi of his position as the Board Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Council, GNPC.
The workers allege that the Energy Minister and his deputy are sabotaging the efforts of the Government to acquire oil from Nigeria's Sahara and other oil suppliers to ensure adequate supply of oil at all times.
According to them, the Minister has declared that only the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, GNPC, must supply TOR with oil, leading to regular shortages. The details of what the National Security Coordinator intends to discuss with the TOR workers are not clear but the meeting is generally expected to tackle the recent agitation of the workers.
