Ghana: Concerned TOR Workers Fight UNICOF

A group of concerned workers of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) have expressed worry about the activities of members of Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF), which is unhealthy for the progress of the refinery.

The group, in a statement, noted that UNICOF, led by their chairman, frustrated the Interim Management Committee (IMC) which was constituted by the Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to oversee the running of the refinery, following the dismissal of the Managing Director Francis Boateng and his deputy, Ato Morrison.

The group alleged that the chairman of UNICOF and some people in the refinery were engaged in buying slop but the IMC stopped the activity.

The group said the IMC’s decision did not sit well with the UNICOF members who were in the slop business and started scheming for their removal.

The group disputed claims made by UNICOF recently that IMC failed in their mandate.

“After the members of the IMC were sworn into office, they unravelled a lot of corrupt practices that led to some officials of TOR being interdicted. A Disciplinary Committee was instituted to investigate the members’ offences case by case.

“The committee had finished their obligation and report submitted to management and Board of Directors to decide the way forward. So it’s never true that the IMC failed in their line of action, even though some might be affected negatively,” the concerned workers argued.

The concerned workers commended the Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, for his effort to ensure that the refinery gradually bounces back.

“Workers of TOR are of the view that Napo is our rescuer. But for his intervention, the Refinery might be shut by now,” they said.

“We want to categorically states that through the Minister of Energy (Napo) TOR still exist and workers continue to earn their salaries.

“We want to state that Dr. Opoku Prempeh and the IMC led by Mr. Norbert Anku have done marvelously well for the sustainability of the refinery and it’s our fervent prayer that TOR new MD and BOD would get an investor to partner the refinery in order to reduce government and other self-centered people interferences,’’ the concerned workers concluded.

Source: https://energynewsafrica.com