Akufo-Addo has derailed our sterling performance in the energy sector - Minority

Former minister for power John Jinapor has called out the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on its mismanagement of the oil and gas sector.

According to him the current NPP administration has rolled back the clock of progress through underhand dealings of the sector.

Speaking at the National Democratic Congress’s dialogue series themed on the state of Ghana’s energy sector, the former power minister said “the mismanagement of the sector has resulted in waned investor interest in Ghana’s oil sector, diminishing local participation in the upstream sector and reduced confidence in our upstream regulatory institutions as evidenced by the disastrous maiden bidding rounds for blocks under the NPP”.

“All these are happening at a time that Ghana has successfully won the maritime boundary dispute,” he added.

He also pointed that the Akufo-Addo government has compromised its creditability with the Ghana – Aker petroleum deal.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to draw specifically on two agreements: the AGM; and AKER agreements to illustrate the corruption and decay that we have investigated and unearthed under President Akufo-Addo in the sector”.

Jinapor further touted the achievement of the erstwhile Mahama-led government, stating that his outfit broke its back to fix the energy sector.

“Whilst in office, we adopted policies and programmes to ensure the nation consistently increased its share in most petroleum agreements that were negotiated. Ghana's share in the three oil producing fields kept increasing – from 13.6% to 20%”.

He concluded that “all thirteen petroleum agreements that came to force under the NDC had enhanced fiscal terms and increased national stake.”