The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has honoured former members for their roles in advancing the cause of the Committee.
The Committee presented citations to out-going members including the immediate past Chairman, Dr. Steve Manteaw and Vice Chairman Dr. Thomas Kojo Stephens and Mr. Joseph Biney Winful whose tenures on the committee have ended.
Presenting the citations during a brief handing over ceremony at the PIAC Secretariat, the incoming Chairman, Mr Noble Wadzah thanked the former members for their invaluable services to the country through PIAC in ensuring that revenues accruing from Ghana’s petroleum are managed efficiently for the benefit of all.
In the citation, PIAC commended Dr. Manteaw, for the significant role he played in saving costs when he led the committee to deploy its internal human resources for the production of its statutory reports which hitherto had been produced by external consultants.
Dr Manteaw also led the committee in addressing its accommodation challenge by procuring a new office building.
The citation further commended him for his passion for good governance in the extractive sector and attention to detail.
“We note that it was during your tenure as Chair that PIAC’s accommodation challenge was resolved, with the acquisition of an office complex which has greatly enhanced its work.
Your eye for detail and passion for due process always came in handy in the operations of PIAC, and will be missed’’.
Dr. Manteaw was appointed a member of PIAC in 2015 representing Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI) and later elected Chairman for two consecutive terms for 2018 and 2019.
Similarly, the immediate past Vice Chairman, Dr. Thomas Kojo Stephens was cited for his immense contribution providing guidance and technical advice as a member of the Technical and tegal Sub-Committees and subsequently, Chair of the Legal Sub-Committee.
“As Chair of the Legal Sub-Committee, you were always on hand to lead the review of contracts, agreements and other legal documents brought to your attention. You also offered legal advice and led the expeditious resolution of matters referred to the Sub-Committee”.
The committee recognised his professional support to the Chairman and described him as a team player who gave opportunity to all to build capacity.
“As team leader, you gave opportunity to other team members to make presentations at PIAC public fora, thereby ensuring that the capacity of all members on the Committee was enhanced”.
Dr. Thomas Stephens was elected Vice Chairman of PIAC in 2018 and served for two terms ending 2019.
PIAC also honoured Mr. Joseph Biney Winful who was Chairman in 2017, for his professional auditing background which influenced the Committee’s drive to verify revenue and production figures from source documents.
He was committed to the independent assessment,management and use of Ghana’s petroleum revenues.
Mr. Joseph Biney Winful, joined PIAC as a representative of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana in 2015 and the Technical as well as Finance, Administrative and Procurement sub-committees.