Government response to the fuel contamination scandal that has hit the state-owned Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) leaves much to be desired as it has degenerated into the usual NDC and NPP political football which leaves the poor tax payer, worst for it.
The facts are intriguing. A whooping 5 million litres of fuel got contaminated by accident or by design. The fuel is then sold to companies alleged to be unlicensed and with links to the Managing Director (MD) of BOST. Genuine concerns are raised by the citizenry and the sector ministry of energy decides to investigate the matter. Before the investigation is done the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the regulating National Petroleum Authority (NPA) show up to exonerate the MD from any wrongdoing while the ministry reconstitutes its investigative committee to look into how the contamination happened and recommend how it could be avoided.
The NDC and NPP are at each other’s throat over the scandal, with each of them confirming that fuel contamination is a regular feature in the distribution system. Only that when it happens it presents opportunity for those in charge of selling it to make money for themselves by hook or crook. And they have both confirmed that the former MD and the current one did something untoward in the selling process.
It is emerging that the former MD supervised the sale of 12 million litres of contaminated fuel in 2016 alone. And the argument and counter arguments are leading to a case of stealing state monies through deliberate contamination and sale of fuel. While there is nothing wrong with making references to actions of previous administrations that caused financial loss to the people of Ghana and in fact, calling for their prosecution, I strongly reject the logic that it is okay today, merely because it happened in the previous administration too. What is wrong is wrong!
It is hard to comprehend why every administration would want to cover up for the wrong doings of officers they have put in charge of managing state affairs when the facts and truths are so obviously against the appointees involved. The state power given to the government is designed to be exercised in the best interest of the people of Ghana. Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly clear that the state power is exercised in the interest of the people in power only.
To all intents and purposes, BOST is a corporate entity that is operating a legal mandate. While its board is yet to be constituted, following the dissolution of the previous board, it stands to reason that the police, for instance, take up the allegations for investigation and prosecution of those who have questions to answer. Now that the sector ministry is no longer interested in the allegations made against the MD, of what relevance will the committee’s finding be, except to make the same recommendations that have been made over and over again, on how contamination can be prevented?
What about the monies that might have been stolen? How do we get them back? What investigative powers has a ministry got over corporate entity when the professional investigative bodies exist? Why do I get the impression that these sorts of occurrences happen with the connivance of the executive to steal and pass money on to the party in power? Why is the party in power always defending such infractions that have serious financial implications for the nation in its entirety? Where do these monies end up?
In the raging debate over the BOST, it has also emerged that the appointed heads of State Owned Enterprises are essentially political faithful who contributed financially to the party winning power. Those contributions are sometimes borrowed monies. Sometimes they are monies borrowed from ‘snakes” that turn round to “bite” the parties in such scandalous fashion. Do we really know what the causes of these scandals are? Yes we must!
Well, in my mind, these scandals would not go away until; it costs candidates nothing financially to run for public office. That way, the investment side which is the cost of running the campaign is taken care of and the winner would not be compelled to pay back through appointment of proxy financiers to recoup their investments through such daylight robberies to pay back election debts.
And for those who allow politicians to buy their votes in election periods, this is how the monies get are paid back. Your tax monies that should be used in paying for public services for the good of society are stolen to pay for the election advances you enjoyed. Not only that. The power you gave at the polls is used against you. Remember this, at the next elections and vote wisely.
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