Party financier and chairman heading GNPC ‘unreasonable’ - Steve Manteaw

Executive Director of the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, Dr. Steve Manteaw has said, the national oil company; Ghana National Petroleum Co-operation (GNPC) is “too political” in structure and needs to change in the future, indicating he sees no reason why a party financier and a party Chairman should be the State Oil Company’s top officers.

Dr. Steve Manteaw in an interview on Joy FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com said he would have wished appointment of Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman of the institution, for example, to be de-politicized.

“I do not a see reason why GNPC should be headed by a party financier and a board chair a party chairman”, he said.

“I will want a situation where we insulate GNPC from political interference in terms of the appointment of its management team”. He pointed out.

“The biggest problem facing GNPC is the over politicisation of that institution”, he said.

GNPC deviating from mandate

According to him, GNPC should as a matter of duty continue to offer financial support to social activities and to also explore more business opportunities contrary to calls by the Minority in parliament for the state company to do otherwise.

“I do not subscribe to those who argue that GNPC should focus on it core mandate”, he revealed.

The Minority in Parliament had three weeks ago expressed their unhappiness with what they consider a clear deviation of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), from its core mandate by investing huge sums of tax payers’ funds into Gold mining, road construction and other areas that have no bearing on the focus of the entity which is in the petroleum sector.

Cassiel Ato Forson who spoke for the Minority indicated that the current management of GNPC is leading the entity unto the wrong path.

The GEITI boss disagrees:

“I believe as a national oil company (GNPC) will need to get into all manner of investment provided they are profitable and viable. …raise money from those investment and use it or to sponsor their core activities”, the director explained.