BOST oil contamination: Our company is not owned by BOST boss- ZubOil

Zuboil, the company which acquired over 2 million litres of contaminated oil, says it has no links whatsoever with the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Managing Director, Alfred Obeng.

Operations Manager of ZubOil, Roland Ayipa told Evans Mensah on Joy FM's Top Story, Zuboil is not owned in any shape or form by Mr Obeng but he will not also disclose the identity of the owner of the company.

He was reacting to claims that the new company was set up by BOST officials.

In a new twist to the raging controversy over the 5 million liters of contaminated fuel, Joy News has gathered ZubOil, a company established less than six-months-old, has taken delivery of 471,000 liters of the product. The product was offloaded into their storage facilities Tuesday morning.

"We bought the products...we took it through Movenpiina," he said, adding it was brought to them from a BOST facility.

The statement contradicts information provided by the Spokesperson at BOST Nana Akua Obeng, Tuesday morning that only 100,000 litres had been offloaded to ZubOil.

M.D of BOST, Alfred Obeng
The revelation by the Operations Manager of ZubOil comes at a time the 5 million liters of contaminated fuel disposed by the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) has triggered some backlash.

A release by the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP) claimed the contaminated product has found itself onto the market.

ACEP Executive Director, Ben Boakye
ACEP Executive Director, Ben Boakye described the circumstances under which the fuel got contaminated as bizarre.

BOST Media Relations Manager, Nana Akua Adubea Obeng disclosed on the Joy FM’s Super Morning Show the said product has not been released onto the market.

She said BOST took the decision to sell the fuel because it had to free its storage facility of the contaminated product in order to make way for new delivery.

Media Relations Manager of BOST, Nana Akua Adubea Obeng

But the Minority in Parliament has called for the suspension of the BOST MD, Alfred Obeng for full scale investigation to be conducted into the matter.

Defending the position of the Minority, former Deputy Energy Minister, John Jinapor said it is in the interest of the government to ensure that the truth in the matter is established.

The Yapei-Kusawgu MP told Evans Mensah said the “fire-fighting approach” of government officials will not work on this matter, adding the rot at the facility does not need to be covered up.

“It is a serious matter,” he said of the matter.

John Jinapor doubted claims by BOST officials that the contaminated products are not in the market. He also questioned the circumstances under which the 5 million litres of the fuel was sold to an oil distributing company, Movenpiina.

The former deputy Energy Minister said BOST has caused financial loss to the state by selling the product at a cheaper price to Movenpiina.

Mr Jinapor said information the Minority in Parliament has gathered shows a liter of the fuel was sold to the company at GHS1 but was sold to ZubOil at GHS3.8ps.

He questioned why BOST did not allow TOR to treat the contaminated fuel and rather sold it Movenpiina.

“There are ways we treat the fuel,” he said, adding BOST’s account of the cause of the contamination does not add up.

“What were the quantity of gasoline in the tanks which led to the contamination?” he asked, adding the Minority is determined to get to the “logical conclusion” of the matter.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com