The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has responded to claims by the Minority in Parliament that the state’s oil management firm supported its board chairman, Freddie Worsemao Blay, in his campaign to be New Patriotic Party’s National Chairman.
In a statement issued in the wake of Mr Blay’s election last Saturday, the Minority demanded a forensic audit into the accounts and activities of GNPC and, consequently, asked Mr Blay to step aside.
“We also demand that Mr. Freddie Blay be made to step aside as GNPC Board Chairman in the interim ahead of the forensic audit so as not to interfere with proceeding,” the statement issued by the Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee, Adam Mutawakilu, demanded.
READ: Freddie Blay must step aside as GNPC chair for forensic audit – Minority demands
But in a press release dated July 9, Chief Executive Officer of GNPC Dr Kofi Koduah Sarpong insisted: “GNPC did not in any way support or play any role in Mr Freddie Blay’s campaign”.
“The Corporation has a robust financial system that will not allow any official to approve or receive funds to support programmes not set out in its Work Programme and Budget that is approved by Parliament.”
Dr Sarpong was not happy about the Damongo Member of Parliament’s referral of GNPC’s 2018 Work Programme as “problematic”, saying it was unanimously approved after an extensive debate on the floor of the House on March 22, 2018.
He announced that anyone can come to the Corporation for any records for the purposes of verification.
“We wish to let the public know that GNPC’s financial records are audited by Ernst and Young, one of the ‘Big Four’ international auditing firms, which adhere to very high standards.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana