The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called out the management and board of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) for increasing their allowances by over 150% in 2022.

The MP, in a post shared on X, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, said that while the country was in economic turmoil and Ghanaians were asked to sacrifice, the leadership of the GNPC was increasing their allowances.

He said that GNPC documents show that the allowances for a day’s hotel rate of the Chairman of the Board of the corporation, Freddie Blay; its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah; and other members of the board and management were increased from 400 to 1000, either in dollars, euros or pounds, depending on the country of destination.

The MP also said that the travel allowance of Freddie Blay was increased from 500 to 850 either in dollars, euros or pounds depending on the destination, while that of the Chief Executive Officer and other members of the board and management was increased from 500 to 700.

“When a government asks everyone to take financial haircuts due to the effects of their economic mismanagement, we don’t expect its officials to be approving for themselves fat increments in allowances.

“Intercepted memos from GNPC reveal that the Freddie Blay-led board and management have increased their allowances by up to 150% despite Ghana’s economic crisis and contrary to government’s assurances to Parliament of a general pay-cut,” the MP wrote on X.

He added, “allowances for a day’s hotel rate have increased from 400 to 1000 Dollars, Euros or Pounds depending on where they travel to. Per diem for the Board Chairman has moved from 500 to 850 and from 500 to 700 for the CEO and other board members — also in Dollars, Euros or Pounds as per the travel destination”.

Okudzeto reiterated that he would be leading the charge to regulate the discretionary powers given to boards and CEOs of State-Owned Enterprises to determine their salaries and allowances without parliamentary approval.

The MP shared a purported document from the GNPC, which was signed by the CEO, showing the increase in the allowances.

View the tweet plus the document below:

When a government asks everyone to take financial haircuts due to the effects of their economic mismanagement, we don’t expect its officials to be approving for themselves fat increments in allowances.

Intercepted memos from GNPC reveal that the Freddie Blay-led board and… pic.twitter.com/Bhxkh1Kdfr

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) March 12, 2024