Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaoer, Kwesi Pratt Jnr says inviting the Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to Parliament for questioning in relations to the controversial Ghana National Petroleum Corporation and PetroSA deal is fair.
His call comes after the Minority in Parliament demanded the transfer of shares from Jubilee Oil Holding to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.
“What Minority seeks to do is to bring the [Energy] Minister to Parliament and to raise questions to get the Minister to answer some questions on these transactions, that is the way to go.
“Give the Minister the opportunity in some instances to defend himself and in other instances, to justify the allegation he has made against the chairman of GNPC and CEO of the corporation,” Mr. Pratt said on Metro TV’s Good Moring Ghana on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
He added that the resources should be managed solely in the interest of Ghanaians
“It is important to understand that these resources belong to the people of Ghana and if these resources are exploited, it should be exploited solely for the benefit of people of Ghana and no other reason”
The Minister of Energy Dr.Mathew Opoku Prempeh believes it is unwise for the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Board Chairman Freddie Blay to offer half of the state oil company’s stake in the Deep Water Tano basin to South African oil company PetroSA, contrary to government’s position.
Freddie Blay has written to PetroSA offering it an equal split in the interest held by GNPC’s subsidiary Jubilee Oil Holdings Ltd (JOHL).
However, Dr Prempeh, in a tersely-worded letter to Mr Blay ordered an immediate cessation of the transaction talks being led by the GNPC Board chairman, insisting the country would be short-changed.
“The Corporation should cease any further negotiations with PetroSA on matters of PetroSA’s intended pre-emption of the JOHL stakes,” Dr Prempeh said in the letter.
“The stakes were acquired by the government of Ghana with state funds”, adding: “The government of Ghana has informed the South African government through their minister responsible for natural resources and energy in a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the African Energy Week, 2022 in Cape Town that Ghana would not approve any pre-emption of the JOHL stakes,” he added.
“Subsequent to the meeting with my counterpart Hon Gwede Mantasha, Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy in South Africa on the above subject, I have had cause to formally respond to him in two successive correspondences affirming government’s position on the matter and you [Freddie Blay] were in copy in all instances”.
“It is, therefore, scandalous that, in spite of these directives, you have led GNPC to offer part of the government-acquired JOHL interest in the DWT to PetroSA”.
“I direct that you cease and desist from any further flouting of the directives forthwith and withdraw the offer made to PetroSA in your letter of April 23, 2023, immediately”, Dr Prempeh ordered.
By: Vanessa Edotom Boateng | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
