Policy think tank, IMANI Ghana, has called on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to initiate fresh investigations into the sale of some 5 million liters of contaminated fuel at the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST).
According to IMANI, the report by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) clearing BOST of any wrongdoing as announced by the Minister of Energy, is not only baffling but “juvenile” and “delinquent.”
“This whole mockery of governance can be made clean again by a singular act of the President for fresh inquiry into the activities of BOST in the last 8 years, and all persons liable for fuel fraud to be held accountable. But we want immediate answers to the present fraud. It is simply early in the day for a new government with boundless optimism,” a statement signed by President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe stated.
BOST had been widely criticized for selling 5 million litres of contaminated fuel to two unlicensed companies, Movepiina and Zup Oil, which were allegedly set up few days before the sale making Ghana lose about GHc 7 million in revenue.
The Energy Ministry subsequently set an investigative committee to look into the mater.
However, the Minister, Boakye Agyarko, on Tuesday cleared BOST and its Managing Director, Alfred Obeng Boateng of any wrongdoing citing a BNI and National Security report.
“The investigations so far carried out by the state security agencies and the NPA show that on the basis of previous practice, there was no wrongdoing at BOST on the sale of the 5 million liters of contaminated products,” he added.
But IMANI in its statement argued that, clearing BOST of any wrongdoing is a “mockery of governance” and a “bastardization of our institutions by politicians.”
“This whole saga is the clearest example yet of bastardisation of our institutions by politicians. How a supposedly competent committee set up by the energy ministry got railroaded and trumped over by the BNI baffles all observers of our democracy. At worse, were the BNI justified to intervene, their conclusions are at best juvenile and delinquent,” he added.
The Minority had accused the BNI of covering up the alleged rot at BOST over the sale of the 5 million litres of contaminated fuel.
Addressing the press in Parliament on Tuesday, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, indicated that, they will stop at nothing to expose the alleged rot at BOST.
“The mere selling of contaminated oil matter to motorists, the mere admission of the regulator, the NPA to the extent that they were unaware and they had not licensed a particular entity also raises major issues as to which entity, registered or not registered that the state should be dealing with. The BNI would have to come public to share with us what they have investigated and what their findings are and not just a mere statement to the effect that the Minister should dissolve his committee,” Haruna Iddrisu added.
IMANI’s Statement of Support for Fresh Enquiry into the Fuel Fraud Saga
Sadly, there are inconsistencies in the accounts of the energy ministry, the National Petroleum Authority and the state owned bulk oil storage company, BOST, over the fuel fraud saga. The attached open letter addressed to the President and also sent to me anonymously, gives some rather damning reasons for chain of errors.
What is clear from the varied accounts we have so far is that;
The regulator, the NPA, was kept in the dark about the shady deal until very very late in the day so its account for the most part, unfortunately does not count.
Close to 300,000 litres of deliberately contaminated fuel had been released onto the market and all relevant authorities in the trade are aware of it.
That the companies involved have no licenses and mandate to operate in the trade, illegal trade actually.
This whole saga is the clearest example yet of bastardisation of our institutions by politicians. How a supposedly competent committee set up by the energy ministry got railroaded and trumped over by the BNI baffles all observers of our democracy. At worse, were the BNI justified to intervene, their conclusions are at best juvenile and delinquent.
This whole mockery of governance can be made clean again by a singular act of the President- fresh inquiry into the activities of BOST in the last 8 years and all persons liable for fuel fraud be held accountable. But we want immediate answers to the present fraud. It is simply early in the day for a new government with boundless optimism.
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.
(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
