JAK Admits Complex Problem At Tema Oil Refinery

President J. A Kufuor Tuesday, this week told the audience at the People's Assembly that the problem facing the beleaguered Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is a very complex one and not something that could be resolved in a matter of time.

Answering questions from the citizenry at the open forum held at the Accra International Conference Centre, President Kufuor said what government has done is to set up a committee to do an in-depth survey of the TOR situation.

"TOR is the most strategic establishment we have," the President said, "And I can say that this committee has gone deep into the problems and we expect to come up in the near future with a comprehensive solution to the crude oil situation."

TOR, like many other state institutions, was subjected to forensic audits after series of alleged financial malfeasance were reported to have gone on at those institutions.

According to Kufuor, when his administration took over two years ago it received advice from the management of TOR that the company was indebted to the tune of ?2.3 trillion at the point Ghana had only six-days reserve of crude oil to refine.

However, almost a year later government learnt from management that there was a hidden ?1.1 trillion more debts that increased the original ?2.3 trillion to ?3.4 trillions.

This development led to the removal of the former TOR Chief Executive Dr. Yaw Akoto, which reports said was an act of political victimization.

But Kufuor told the People's Assembly that a management step prompted the decision to have him removed and not on any personal consideration. It was learnt that Dr. Akoto at the time failed to present to government the actual situation, which existed at TOR.

Meanwhile, the participants at the forum, drawn from 76 organizations, use the opportunity given them to ask questions ranging from health, education, security and the Government's zero tolerance for corruption policy.

The forum got more interesting though, at a point in time when President Kufuor did over rule the moderator's decision to enable citizens who had questions to ask, as time had elapse to continue.

The mood of the participants at the open forum was indicative of their appreciation of such interaction.

Not only did people ask or give subjections to the Government, but people for instance who had on occasions petitioned the President to address their personal issues and had not gotten any redress had the opportunity to put their cases before him.

Among those who had such opportunity was one Kobla Kavornu, who had on occasion petitioned the President on injustices committed against him after earlier petitions to the Chief Justice and the Attorney General and Minster for Justice offices had not been considered and a foreign investor who said he had been duped by some Ghanaians.

This was the second People's Assembly to be held in the history of Ghana's politics.

The concept was introduced by the Kufuor administration a year ago. An event which saw the President submitting himself to a cross section of the populace to be subjected to questions, comments and criticism.

Ministers of State and Regional Ministers replicated the exercise in all the 10 regional capitals and 55 district capitals.

The People's Assembly will, hopefully, become an important feature of Ghana's growing democracy.