The Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew
Opoku Prempeh, has disclosed that some $2.5 million worth of crude condensate
has gone missing at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
The Minister explains that his
outfit secured a deal for the company in the premix sector but $2.5 million has
been lost and left unaccounted for.
“I gave TOR a new business
opportunity in the premix fuel market that all the condensate from Ghana Gas
should be used for blending premix fuel. The last time I heard, Over 2.5
million dollars worth of condensate had gone missing from TOR. If we all want
TOR working, and we don’t want another ECG in TOR, [we should do the right
thing else] it will break the back of government”.
“TOR has over $500 million worth of
debt sitting on its books and go and look at how the debt is accumulated–
people bring their crude to refine and then they record crude losses.”
The Minister said he set up a
committee that worked for 8 months to reconcile TOR losses but has not made any
headway.
“You don’t pay taxes for it to go
down the drain. You pay taxes for an efficient running of government.
Government, I can tell you, is doing so much work to bring TOR to work. There
are proposals lying up in TOR, SIGA, Attorney General, and Finance Ministry all
having a look. Getting it right is a difficult proposition we are working on.
And we will work diligently to get Ghanaians what is good,” the Energy Minister
added.
His comment follows an appeal by
workers to government to revive the refinery.
Reacting to this, Dr. Matthew Opoku
Prempeh said government is doing all it can to revive the company.
Meanwhile, workers of the Refinery
are demanding the dismissal of their Managing Director, Jerry K.
Hinson over allegations made against him.
“If people are not doing the right
thing, they are supposed to be fired, I’m surprised the CEO is still even in office
and the Minister is saying this. If you are a CEO, it is your responsibility to
ensure that the place is run efficiently. If it turns out that the duty that
they give to you to make money for the refinery and you are not able to do. I
think the Minister should fire the MD and dissolve the board. So there is a
clear evidence that staff are doing things that are not right. Why are you not
going after them, why are you not putting in measures? the private entities are
doing it right, why are we not doing it as government entity?” Bernard
Owusu Chairman of the General Transport and Chemical Workers Union asked.
The General Transport Petroleum
Chemical Workers Union (GTPCWU) on Tuesday, April 18 announced its intention to
embark on a series of actions in support of its call for the revamping of TOR.
At a press conference at the
forecourt of TOR, Mr. Bernard Owusu, National Chairman of GTPCWU, said the
industrial action would precede the May Day celebrations.
He added that the workers plan to
picket at the Jubilee House, the Ministry of Energy, and other strategic
locations after meetings with management and government officials yielded no
result.
But the Managing Director of the
Tema Oil Refinery, Jerry K. Hinson, described attempts by some workers of the
company to embark on industrial action as unlawful.
In a letter to the workers, Mr
Hinson warned that any worker who participates in the illegal strike action or
picketing will be dealt with according to the laws.
In the letter to the workers, the
TOR MD reminded workers that various procedures to address their challenges and
grievances have not been exhausted, hence any attempt to embark on industrial
action is unlawful and a breach of the Labour Act.
“Kindly be aware of the illegality
of any such actions under clauses 168- 1 71 of the Labour Act and the
consequences thereunder for participants/staff involved. Please be aware of
section 171 in particular which emphasises the term “picketing” which is only
lawful in furtherance of a lawful strike/industrial action.”
“Kindly be advised finally that
participation of staff in any illegal action or picketing or indeed any act
that purports to disrupt the activities of the Company or possibly undermine
the authority of the Shareholder will be subjected to the prescribed
ramifications under the relevant laws.”
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