President John Dramani Mahama has been asked to institute an investigation into activities of the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) following reports of alleged irregularities in the construction of gas processing plant in the Wester Region.

In order to prevent interference in the investigations, “We demand... that Dr. George Sipa Yankey be made to step aside as Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Gas, pending the institution of a high level forensic investigation into the affairs of the company,” the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas (CSPOG) demanded at a press conference.

The group explained: “We make this demand because of the huge costs being recorded relative to the gas project and their ramifications for gas pricing when the project is completed,” stressing that “the president must gather the political courage to deal with those that may be found culpable of any impropriety at Ghana Gas.”

It is the second time in three years that Dr. Yankey is facing a major call for his removal from a position he occupies following a similar call in 2009 when he was named among top government officials implicated in the infamous Mabey and Johnson (M&J) road contract bribery scandal.

He consequently resigned his post as minister for health in late 2009 but was cleared in June 2011 by a team of investigators from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service which was set up under the directive of the Attorney General (A-G).

It would be recalled that Dr. Yankey was, in the early 2000s, sentenced to two years imprisonment for the role he played in the controversial Quality Grain rice project in Avayime, Volta Region, while he was a director at the ministry of finance and economic planning.

Presently, the CSPOG argues that Dr. Yankey appears too powerful in the wake of claims that he allegedly snubbed the Petroleum Commission and the ministry of energy who had made attempts to obtain details of the transaction between GNGC and Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation.

Dr. Yankey is also alleged to have insisted that he reports to the President and not the Commission or the Ministry.

It would be recalled Public Agenda on September 17 and 24 reported that Sinopec could succeed in short-changing Ghana by at least $140 million which had arisen from alleged transfer pricing manipulation and supply of a supposedly inferior quality gas plant to Ghana.

Gas pipeline being laid by Sinopec in shallow waters are also per kilometer extra cost compared to pipelines of the same width which were laid in deep sea by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.

In responding to the issues, Dr. Yankey spoke on several Accra-based radio stations, including Citi FM, during which he strongly debunked the claims and also suggested the reports were made out of “ignorance” or mischief.

He contended that he had saved Ghana over 200 million U.S. Dollars during contract negotiations.