Ghana’s National Oil Company (GNPC) has made changes to its leadership after the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah, was allegedly forced to resign from his post by persons close to Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo.
Mr Opoku-Ahweneeh was appointed to act as the CEO of the national oil company in 2022 after the mandatory retirement of Dr. Kofi Koduah Sarpong, the former CEO.
Few days ago, this portal gathered that persons who facilitated the appointment of Mr Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah within the circles of President Akufo-Addo were angry and persuaded him to honourably resign to avoid being fired.
It was not clear what his crime was, but it appeared his fall out with the appointing authority had to do with performance and other issues.
There have been controversies at the oil company in recent times, with information from the company flying in the media frequently.
As a result of the controversies and tensions at the oil company, Mr Joseph Dadzie, who is the Deputy Chief Executive responsible for Commerce, Strategy and Business Development, went on an early retirement in December 2023, even though his retirement was due in August 2024.
In a letter addressed to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Mr Opoku- Ahweneeh Danquah, according to sources, expressed his respect for the office.
He described his tenure as an honour and emphasised his commitment to the evolution of Ghana’s energy sector.
He pointed out that an atmosphere of misinformation and misunderstanding surrounding the transformative policies he championed made it increasingly untenable for him to continue effectively in his role.
Opoku-Ahweneeh emphasised the importance of unequivocal support and trust from all stakeholders for GNPC to thrive and fulfill its mandate.
Mr Danquah extended his gratitude to the President of the Republic of Ghana, saying, “In the starch that has stiffened my efficacious tenure, the main ingredients have been your astute guidance and the support of the talented team at GNPC. I am truly grateful for the opportunities that I have been afforded.”
Opoku Danquah reassured his commitment to the progress and prosperity of Ghana, standing ready to support any transition efforts as deemed necessary by the administration.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has appointed Mr Joseph Dadzie, who went on early retirement in December 2023, to replace Mr Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah.
“Pursuant to Section 10 (2) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation Act, 1983 (P.N.D.C.L. 64), I am pleased to inform you that the President has appointed you to act as the Chief Executive of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (the “Corporation”) pending receipt of the required advice of the honourable Minister for Energy, given in consultation with the Public Services Commission,” his appointment letter signed by the secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante and dated Wednesday, 3rd April 2024 read.
“Your appointment is effective 2nd May 2024. I take this opportunity to congratulate you formally on your appointment. Kindly indicate your acceptance or otherwise of this appointment within 14 days of receipt of this letter. Please accept the President’s best wishes,” the letter copied to the Vice President, Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Minister for Energy, the Chairman of the Public Services Commission and the Board Chairman of the GNPC further read.
Profile Of Dadzie
Mr Dadzie is a Banker, Energy and Communication Expert. He holds an MBA (Finance) and MSc (General Management) from the Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Netherlands, as well as a BSc (Chemical Engineering) from the KNUST, Ghana.
As a Banker, he worked as Director (Commodity Corporate), Head (Large Local Corporate & Parastatals), and Senior Manager (Financial Institution) all with the Standard Chartered Bank.
In communication, he was the Chief Operating/Finance Officer for Surfline Communication Limited.
Over the years, he has worked in the energy sector as an Assistant Operations Officer with TOR, Market Research Analyst with the GNPC, and CFO with Woodfields Energy Resources.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com