NDC mismanaged Saltpond Oil revenue

From: David Allan Paintsil, Jukwa
A former Deputy Minister of Energy, under former President John Agyekum Kufuor's administration, Kwabena Tahir Hammond has accused the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) of mismanaging the revenue generated from the Saltpond Oil Field in the Central Region.

Hon. Kwabena Tahir Hammond made it clear that the (NDC) government squandered US$ 52 million oil revenue generated from the Saltpond oil field.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of a three-day New Patriotic Party (NPP) Central Region Youth Wing seminar at Jukwa on Saturday, Hammond alleged that NDC bought three dilapidated rig machines worth GH¢ 96m, for the extraction of crude oil at Saltpond.

But they faded within the shortest possible time because the government at the time did not have knowledge on the machines.

The former Energy Minister comments came after Moses Asaga, a former NDC Deputy Finance Minister had accused the NPP of mismanaging revenue generated from Saltpond oil field during their tenure of office.

According to Hammond, the former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata and NDC supplied free fuel to government of Republic of Cuba because the Caribbean country provided Ghana with a fuel tank worth US$ 17m dollars.

In addition, he claimed that he had to cruise around the globe to solicit for funds to pay Angola every month, for the debt incurred as a result of ramshackle rig. He, therefore, expressed surprise about Hon. Moses Asaga's accusation that NPP did not manage the Saltpond Oil Field well, but rather they used the funds for their own interest.

Hammond, who was irritated by Asaga's accusations, advised him to confront Tsikata, who he alleged incurred a debt of US$ 47m, as then Chief Executive Officer (of GNPC), claiming that Tsatsu could not show Ghanaians where the cocoa farm that GNPC bought with oil revenue.

Turning to the seminar, Hon. Hammond appealed to the NPP youth to take their studies seriously and again urged them to respect party structures, in order to avoid lawlessness in the party and the country as a whole.

He called on the NPP youth to solicit massive votes for the party to win the 2012 general elections in the first round.

The Central Regional Youth Organizer of NPP, Mr. Francis Edjaku Donkoh said NPP was prepared to battle the ruling NDC in the next year's elections