I am a Citizen.
I rise to ask my respected Retired and Tired President Billy Akufo-Addo whether it is proper for GNPC, the state agency for exploration and production of oil and gas to dole out one hundred and twenty thousand cedis (GHC120, 000.00) to cure your lovely Rebecca Akufo-Addo’s aching piles?
Recently, GNPC announced that it had supported some
Individuals and Instutions with huge chunks of resources belonging to the People of Ghana.
Among the beneficiaries were President Akufo-Addo’s tribal chief, Amoatia Ofori- Panyin, and curiously his wife, First Lady Rebecca Carboo-Opertoto Griffiths- Randolph Akufo-Addo.
It was reported that the GNPC funded the 20th anniversary celebrations of your Okyenehene Amoatia Ofori- Panin with a jaw- dropping one million five hundred thousand cedis (GHC1,500,000).
Your Okyenehene presides over some 948 towns and villages with well endowed resources for agriculture production, mining, logging and timber-related industries, flora and fauna tourism, etc.
Also, Your Okyenhene prides himself to be blessed with skilled, intelligent human capital as well as celebrated property- owning democracy practitioners.
So, how come Amoatia Ofori Panyin could not impose levies on his subjects (home and abroad) and companies operating within his jurisdiction, to raise funds for his 20th anniversary as a tribal chief.
Has Akufo-Addo turned GNPC into a Ghana National Energy Bank which underwrites the social activities of his tribal chief, family and friends?
The GNPC’s own advertised CSR policy focuses as its priority areas as health, education and sports development. The Policy has not changed.
So, the question that arises is, if Akufo-Addo had committed himself to his tribal chief’s anniversary, why must GNPC money be used to prosecute that agenda?
And did any Citizen hear or read the ludicrous explanations offered by the gaggle of sycophantic lickspittles at GNPC?
An obsequious General Manager “responsible for Sustainability at GNPC” hyped the narrative to state that the 1.5 million cedis doled out to the Okyenehene was for planting 25 million trees over a three-years- period.
What?!
Aaaah. Is the Okyenehene the National Coordinator for Tree Planting?
If it is to be believed, will the GNPC extend similar funds to the Ada, Ningo, Pampram, Shai, Kpone, Katamanso and Osudoku chiefs to plant trees on the Accra plains?
Will the GNPC extend the same amount to the chiefs of the Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East and West Regions to plant trees?
I had the rare previledge of observing how my fellow Santaclausian, and now MP for Kyebi, Samuel Atta Akyea, argues his way out of trouble.
It is a simple strategy.
If the law is against you argue the facts. If the facts are against you argue the law. If both the law and the facts are against you hold the table and yell.
That is the strategy being adopted by Akufo-Addo and his appointees to explain the use of GNPC resources to fund the 20th anniversary of their tribal Chief, Amoatia Ofori- Panyin.
What then is GNPC’s explanation for doling out 120,000 cedis to cure First lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo’s piles?
I wish to remind President Akufo-Addo that the GNPC is a statutory body established in 1983 by PNDCL 64 and charged to undertake the exploration, development, production and disposal of petroleum.
Also, the GNPC Exploration and Production Company Limited (Explorco) was incorporated under the companies Act, 1963 ( Act 179) as a wholly indigenous company of the GNPC.
The purpose of the Company is to serve as one of the vehicles to help transform the GNPC into a full commercial entity which Ghanaians could wholly hold commercial interests in exploration and production assets.
The enabling laws of GNPC and Explorco do not state that they are to morph into the Ghana National Energy Bank whose resources your wife Rebecca can dip her fingers into to sooth her piles.
I urge Rebecca Carboo- Opertoto Griffiths- Randolph Akufo-Addo to return the 120,000.00 cedis with interest at the prevailing bank rate to GNPC without fail.
It is a wrong meat!
I Shall Retunr (sic)
Owula Mangortey
Odumase- Dodowa
Note:
The writer worked for years in the GNPC, BOST, ENERGY COMMISSION, GHANA GAS and the Ministry of Energy. His remit covered CSR, community and chieftaincy relations, government relations and corporate communication.