Ghana Gas has not paid any money to Ellembelle DCE - Owusu Bempah clarifies

Ernest Owusu Bempah, the Head of Corporate Communications of Ghana Gas has disowned media reports attributed to him to the effect that the District Chief Executive of Ellembelle, Kwasi Bonzoh has been paid GH¢8 million by the company.

Owusu Bempah says that the reports are a misrepresentation of an interview he granted on Nzema FM and that at no point in the said interview did he allege that Ghana Gas has paid the said amount of money to Kwasi Bonzoh.

Speaking during a joint press conference in Takoradi, the Deputy Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party clarified that he was disclosing the amount of money paid as property rate to the Ellembelle District and not the Ellembelle DCE.

Ernest Owusu Bempah also stressed what he deems to be a mutually respectful and cordial relationship between Ghana Gas and Kwasi Bonzo.

“I have not said anywhere that we have paid physical cash of GH¢8 million to Bonso K. personally. Thus, Ghana Gas has not paid cash or any other amount to Bonso K.”

“That is factually inaccurate. I’ve never said it anywhere, and I have never said it on any platform. What Ghana Gas does is that because Ghana Gas is situated at Ellembelle and as a matter of fact, we pay rent or property rate and Business Operating Permit to the District Assembly to execute their businesses. In the cause of making those statements, there were some figures that were mentioned and the DCE also came in, and then it became some issue that we needed to clear the air on. So basically that was what actually happened, and we want to set the records straight,” he clarified.

“I spoke to Nzema FM, but I never said that they paid certain amounts of money personally to Kwesi Bonso but to Ellembelle District Assembly. Since 2017 the amount that the Assembly has received per the DCE’s document is GH¢4.45 million. The other remaining amount is within the system going through the audit per the available information that I got before going to the press. The remaining amount will just go through the audit before the money is paid,“ he added.

His clarification follows a statement by Kwasi Bonzoh for the withdrawal of the statement, failure of which he was going to take legal action.

Taking his turn at the press conference, Kwasi Bonzo expressed satisfaction over the clarification of the allegations which sought to injure his reputation.

He dismissed perceptions and allegations that he is scheming with some members of the party to get the CEO of Ghana Gas dismissed.

According to him, he is focused on delivering his mandate as the President’s rep for the area and will not engage in any activity with the potential of impeding the progress of Ellembelle.

Kwasi Bonzoh also affirmed that the district has received GH¢4.45million from Ghana Gas for the payment of property rate and business operating permit and not 8million as being bandied about.

“Now the records have been set, the assembly as has confirmed that it has since 2017 received a total payment of GH¢4.45million from Ghana Gas for the payment of property rate and business operating permit. All the money has gone into the District Assembly’s account and not to my personal account. The assembly is a public institution whose account is audited every year. As an Assembly, we will continue to work together with Ghana Gas. Now that this issue has been cleared, I also owe people a duty of accountability to the people of Ellembelle in terms of how these monies that have been paid to the assembly have been used,“ he noted.

“As a DCE in the area, we picked up intelligence that there were some youth who felt they were not being given employment opportunities. These are grievances that I have nothing to do with, but once it comes to my attention, it is incumbent on me as DCE to make sure it is solved. We have brought that to the attention of the Board Chairman and to the CEO, which is being resolved,“ he explained.