We need crude oil not committee, Agyapong tells Mills

Felix Owusu Agyapong

Ex-Energy Minister Felix Owusu Agyapong says government must make the regular supply of crude oil into the country its major priority.

According to him, the decision by the President, John Evans Atta Mills to set up a four-member committee to manage the debt profile of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), may be necessary but not what the country needs at this time.

President Mills on Tuesday tasked the Ministers of Energy and Finance, Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei and Dr. Kwabena Dufuor respectively, the Chief of Staff; Mr. Martey Newman and the Governor of the Bank of
Ghana, Dr. Paul Acquah to rescue TOR from its huge indebtedness and ensure regular supply of crude oil to the refinery.

The president and other government functionaries on countless occasions accused the NPP administration of leaving behind a colossal debt at TOR, and reckoned a successful management of the debt was key to bringing the Refinery back on track.

Whilst acknowledging the prerogative of the President to set up the committee, the ex-energy minister in an interview with Citi News said the decision should have been taken a long time ago, insisting what Ghanaians need at this time is crude oil.

"Ghanaians must not be queuing for fuel," he said.
“After nine months the President is now talking about solving the TOR debt,” he said, adding “when he (President Mills), his vice, the energy minister and other government functionaries have been giving different figures on the extent of debt owed by TOR since assuming office in January,” he added.

According to him, the NPP, confronted with the same challenge in 2001 solved the problem in less than 2 months after which TOR began importing crude oil for refining.

He accused government of suffocating the industry after it failed to import crude oil into the country for the eight months it had been in power, saying at a price of $147 per barrel the NPP still managed to import crude oil to facilitate commercial activities of Ghanaian industries.

Mr. Agyapong will not offer any advise to government in public, when asked the way forward. He preferred to be consulted in private.

Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana