Ghana: GNPC’s GHS5.4 Million ‘Give Aways’ Causes Confusion At PAC Sitting

The decision by Ghana’s national oil company, GNPC, to allocate substantial amount of monies to some institutions generated a heated argument on Tuesday during the sitting of Public Accounts Committee of Ghana’s Parliament.

PAC is an arm of Ghana’s parliament that scrutinises how public funds are used by state institutions.

GNPC made approvals to the tune of GHS5.42 million as sponsorships and donations to some institutions last year.

Out of the figure, GHS120,000 went to the Rebecca Foundation, GHS 550,000 to Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), GHS1.8 million went to Okyehene’s 20th Anniversary, GHS 50,000 to the Ghana Journalists’ Association, GHS30,000 to the Ghana Boxing Authority and GHS 400,000 towards the preparation of the Damba Festival.

When the issue came to the public knowledge last year, a section of Ghanaians expressed shock over the Corporation’s decision to fund such activities, so they called for the head of the CEO.

Considering the 2017 report of the Auditor General, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, Sam George asked why the board of GNPC had to directly approve over GHc5 million to be paid to the earlier mentioned individuals and entities without routing it through the GNPC foundation.

Board Secretary, Matilda Ohene, who was at the PAC, struggled to answer the questions posed to her; more especially as the Chairman for the Committee, James Klutse Avedzi threw follow-up questions at their guest.

“Hon. Chairman, I only act on the instructions of the board and the memo was to formally inform the Chief Executive of the decision of the Board, but I can get the Board to formally respond to this question,” Matilda Ohene stated.

This was, however, greeted with disdain from the Deputy Ranking Member for the Committee, Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru.

Responding to the approval by the Board, Deputy CEO at GNPC, Joseph Dadzie said he could not tell the basis for the approval by the Board.

“Hon. Chair, I cannot speak for the Board of GNPC, but as I mentioned earlier, the Foundation has some thematic areas in which they carry out their activities and those are the umbrella under which the activities of the Foundation is situated,” Joseph Dadzie told the PAC members.

“Deputy Chief Executive, I want this clarification to be made clearly, the question we are asking is not about anybody’s interest. It is about the interest of the people of Ghana, if a member here thinks that we don’t have the right to ask this question, I will end the discussion here but the people of Ghana will judge,” James Avedzi emphasised after some tussles with opposition members.

That development later brought proceedings to an abrupt end. Chairman of PAC, James Avedzi, later, adjourned proceedings to today, Wednesday.