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General News of Monday, 24 March 2003

Source: Chronicle

Five Engineers Axed At GNPC

The management of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has fired the five mechanical and electrical engineers who were trained by the Ansaldo/Mitsui, the manufacturers of the Osagyefo Barge Plant, which is to be used to generate electricity at Effasu in the Western Region.

The Management could not state the reason behind their action, which many be seen as a case of victimization.

“Chronicle” has gathered that, the five were among 12 engineers who were flown to Italy at the expense of the tax payer, by the Tsatsu Tsikata administration, to be trained by Ansaldo, an Italian engineering firm, with the sole aim of coming back to man it or see to it operation, when it finally arrived in the country.

When "Chronicle" contacted the Managing Director, Mr. Boateng, he told the paper that the five were fired because his management did not find them competent enough to handle operations at the barge.

A source at both the GNPC headquarters in Tema and Takoradi attributed the surprise decision of management to the inability of the 77 metre long barge to enter the artificial lake constructed for it at Effasu-Mangyea in the Jomoro district in the Western Region.