GNPC may be hiding something in Tsatsu's ex-gratia saga - Vitus Azeem suggests

Anti-corruption campaigner Vitus Azeem is challenging the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to be bold and confirm the amount it paid to Tsatsu Tsikata and three others as ex-gratia.

Former Deputy Energy Minister KT Hammond had claimed that as a former chief executive officer, Mr. Tsikata was recently paid one million cedis as his ex-gratia. The same amount was paid to one Nana Boakye Asafu-Adjaye who acted in the capacity of a chief executive of the company years back.

Two former workers of the corporation - Mr. Benjamin Dagadu (Field Evaluation and Development Manager); and Ms. Esther Cobbah (Public Affairs Manager) – each also received 600,000 cedis.

The GNPC issued a statement to confirm that it had approved the payment of ex-gratia to the four former employees

The statement however failed to confirm the exact amount paid to them. It officials would also not comment beyond the press statement.

Tsatsu Tsikata
But Executive Director of Ghana Integrity Initiative, Vitus Azeem told Joy News, as a state institution, the GNPC owes it a duty to tell Ghanaians the amount it paid to them.

“If they find it necessary to react, then they should fully disclose what is behind the whole issue,” he demanded.

He also believes there are more begging questions the corporation ought to provide answers to.

“Under what circumstances were they removed, were they sacked, did it have anyting to do with their end of service benefit? If it has, did they petition, did they go to court, why did the board all of a sudden decide to pay them those monies if they thought that they needed it?”

Vitus Azeem also questioned the number of years the beneficiaries worked with the state institution.

GNPC’s own statement sai the people worked for periods ranging between 12 and 21 years.

However, based on his research, the corporation was established in 1983 and started operations in 1985. It therefore goes to say that none of them would have worked for 21 years when they were removed from office in 2001.

The highest number of years any of them would have worked for GNPC would be 18 years, he pointed out.