GCMCL Impasse: Government coy over publishing findings of probe

Government has given no clear indication yet as to whether or not it will disclose the findings of the investigative report on the impasse between the CEO and board members of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited (GCMCL).

The government is under pressure to make public the findings of the three-member investigatory committee instituted by the Energy Ministry to probe the impasse at the GCMCL.

In a statement Thursday the Executive Secretary of COPEC Duncan Amoah said: “…Ghanaians will want closure on this matter and will be happy for the Ntrakwa Committee Report to be published immediately.”

The CEO of the GCMCL, Frances Essiam is being accused of awarding several contracts worth millions of Ghana Cedis without recourse to the governing Board of the GCMCL—an allegation she vehemently denied.

The allegations led to her suspension by the GCMCL Board appointing the Technical Director of the company, Mr. Ezekiel Mensah to act in the absence of Madam Essiam.

The directive of the Board, however, was suspended by the Energy Ministry, during a meeting between officials of the Ministry and members of the Board.

The Ministry subsequently in a statement announced the constitution of a three-member investigatory committee to probe the impasse at the GCMCL.

The Board of the GCMCL has since been dissolved without the findings of the three-member committee set up by the Energy Minister in the heat of the impasse.

A letter ordering the dissolution of the Board sighted by Starrfmonline.com read in parts that “His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that the necessary steps be taken to dissolve the Board of Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act and the Company’s Regulations.”

The minority in Parliament say the dissolution of the Board is aimed at covering up what they labelled massive rot at the GCMCL by Madam Essiam.

“[It’s] Pure cover-up. I’m sad for mother Ghana. The President’s fight against corruption is just by word not by action. It is a serious thing,” the Minority Spokesperson on Energy Adam Mutawakilu told Starr News.

“I think that the critical thing for all of us to understand as a country is that allegations are allegations until they are proved.

“So, it is trite that if indeed the committee was established and the committee has come out with its report and based upon that report an action has been taken then we are all allowed to know the facts, which are that the finding of the committee felt that the best possible actions at the moment was to dissolve the Board and that has been done,” said Nana Damoah Communications Consultant at the Energy Ministry on Starr Today Thursday.

He added for the findings of the report to be made public “we have to weigh the findings of the report against the commercial interest of the state of Ghana as well as of Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited and in due time the next line of actions will be taken.”