Petro SA deal: 29 CSOs want Freddy Blay, GNPC CEO removed
The CSOs have accused the two men of working against the nation's interest by seeking to sell 50% of the Ghana government’s interest in Jubilee Holdings Limited(JOHL) to PetroSA
Twenty-nine(29) Civil Society Organisations are demanding the immediate removal of the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Commission(GNPC), Opoku Ahweneeh and the Board Chair, Mr Freddy Blay.
The CSOs have accused the two men of working against the nation's interest by seeking to sell 50% of the Ghana government’s interest in Jubilee Holdings Limited(JOHL) to PetroSA despite the huge revenue it accrues to the state.
The group including the Africa Centre for Energy Policy(ACEP), Centre for Democratic Development(CDD), the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana(COPEC), and Imani Centre for Policy has revealed during a press conference that the Energy minister is against the deal and has thus written to the Jubilee house on the matter.
In the said letter signed by the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and copied to the Secretary to the President, the AG and two others, the minister notes that Mr Blay has ignored the interest of the government and the people of Ghana in the discussions with PetroSA.
Therefore reiterating his directive in his October 28, 2022 letter, the Energy Minister directed the GNPC to cease any further negotiation with PetroSA and indicated that Ghana had already stated to South Africa’s sector minister that I would not approve any such pre-emption of the JOHL stakes.
Finally, the minister wondered why the GNPC had continued with the negotiations despite his various correspondences with the South African sector minister. Thus, he directed them to ‘cease and desist from any flouting of the directives forthwith and withdraw the offer made to Petro SA.’
