Your silence is loud – Ablakwa to government over 150% increase in allowance of GNPC management, board

The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has criticized the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government and the leadership of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) over its failure to respond to his claims of an over 150% increase in the allowances of the leadership of the corporation.

Ablakwa, in a post shared on X, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, said that it has been more than a day since he blew the alarm of the increase in allowances but there has been no response from either the government or the GNPC.

He said that the silence of the government and GNPC on the matter is deafening.

“It’s been more than 24 hours — the silence of GNPC and government is very loud,” he wrote.

The North Tongu legislator, in a post shared on X on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, said that while the country was in economic turmoil and Ghanaians have been asked to sacrifice, the leadership of the GNPC are rather increasing their allowances.

He said that GNPC documents show that the allowances for a day’s hotel rate of the Chairman of the Board of the company, Freddie Blay; its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah; and other members of the board and management were increased from 400 to 1000, either in dollars, euros or pounds, depending on the country of destination.

The MP also said that the travel allowance of Freddie Blay was increased from 500 to 850 either in dollars, euros or pounds depending on the destination, while that of the Chief Executive Officer and other members of the board and management was increased from 500 to 700.

“When a government asks everyone to take financial haircuts due to the effects of their economic mismanagement, we don’t expect its officials to be approving for themselves fat increments in allowances.

“Intercepted memos from GNPC reveal that the Freddie Blay-led board and management have increased their allowances by up to 150% despite Ghana’s economic crisis and contrary to government’s assurances to Parliament of a general pay-cut,” the MP wrote on X.

He added, “allowances for a day’s hotel rate have increased from 400 to 1000 Dollars, Euros or Pounds depending on where they travel to. Per diem for the Board Chairman has moved from 500 to 850 and from 500 to 700 for the CEO and other board members — also in Dollars, Euros or Pounds as per the travel destination.”

The MP shared a purported document from the GNPC, which was signed by the CEO, showing the increase in the allowances.

View is post plus a copy of the document below:

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