West African Gas Pipeline Company Dismisses $30m Payment to N-Gas

The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), has rejected claims that the government has paid some 30 million dollars as part payment of the over 100 million dollars debts owed the company.
This is according to the Corporate Affairs Director for WAPCo, Harriet Wereko-Brobbey. Harriet Wereko-Brobbey who spoke to Citi Business News on Tuesday, explained that her outfit is yet to receive information from N-Gas, the government of Ghana’s suppliers of gas, regarding such payment.
“On the issue of payments, WAPCo has not received any payment, but then I don’t know if the Petroleum Minister is referring to payments made to the supplier that is N-Gas.
We are transporters and we get paid by the supplier whose gas we transport. So it may be that payment has been made to the supplier and we are yet to receive payment for the transportation, but we haven’t heard anything from even N-Gas on any payment,” she explained.
The Minister of Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah in an interview with Citi Business News on Monday, announced that Ghana had paid some 30 million dollars out of the reported 140 million dollars it owes WAPCo.
Mr. Buah intimated that, the payment formed part of a payment plan government agreed on with N-Gas. WAPCo, in June, suspended gas flow to Ghana over unpaid bills by the government.
Citi Business News understands that the Volta River Authority (VRA), owes Nigeria’s N-gas around 180 million dollars, while N-Gas in turn owes WAPCo 104 million dollars.
Harriet Wereko-Brobbey however indicated that, WAPCo is engaging N-Gas to facilitate the resumption of the transportation of gas to Ghana.
“The issue is that we are in a difficult situation and so we have suspended our transportation services to the supplier that is N-Gas.
So we indicated to N-Gas that they should kindly pay us money so we can transport because we have been transporting on their behalf and there has not been any payment.
So for us, we expect payment so we resume transportation.” Meanwhile the company has also denied any damage to it pipelines, due to activities militants in Nigeria insisting that, the cut in supply is due to the unpaid bill.
“On the issue of pipelines, I think we all hear about pipeline sabotage and so on, but the point I am making is that, WAPCo’s issue is on gas transportation on the WAP-P. The WAP-P is in good condition.
We are in the position to transport and we have suspended transportation because of payment,” Harriet Wereko Brobbey stressed.