Full-fledged investigations by GhanaWeb have found evidence that the
Ghana National Petroleum Corporation’s (GNPC) board in 2018 made large
payments to some government and private firms in the country for no work
done.
The biggest beneficiaries of the suspicious payments, GhanaWeb
gathered, included the Rebecca Foundation – a charity organisation
founded by the First Lady, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, among
others.
In an internal memo written by the Board Secretary, Matilda Ohene and
addressed to the Chief Executive of GNPC, Dr. K.K. Sarpong, with the
caption “Approval for payment of various sponsorship/support requests”,
the First Lady’s outfit received a whopping GHC750,000 from the coffers
of GNPC as part of the foundation’s Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR).
The office of the president, which produces the presidential diaries of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,
which has often served as a propaganda piece to trumpet the
achievements of the regime, also benefitted immensely from GNPC’s
largesse.
The wheels of the propaganda outfit were greased by the sum of
USD20,000.00 (GHC1.7 billion Old Cedis) with the current exchange rate.
The GNPC under the auspices of Freddie Blay, the incumbent NPP’s
chairman, at the 8th Board Meeting held on October 24, 2018, approved
the recommendations of the brands which had the support of GNPC’s
communication and CSR committee.
Other institutions such as the Physically Challenged Foundation
(GHC45K); National Council for Civic Education (GHC300K); Executive
Programme for Ambassadors (SGD35K); Financial Times Ltd (GBP55K); the
Eastern Nzema Traditional Area Atuabo Kundum Festival (50K Cedis) and
the Nsein Traditional Council (20K Cedis) also benefitted from the GNPC
largess.
The GNPC Board of Directors at its meetings held on December 23, 2019,
and January 13, 2020, allocated to the Ghana Boxing Association and
Ghana Journalists Association GHC30K and GHC50K respectively.
In that same year, the Office of the Okyenhene received
(GHC1.8million), for tree planting and 20th-anniversary celebration of
the Okyenhene respectively; Dagbon Traditional Council (GHC400K), for
the rehabilitation of Gbewaa Palace; Economic and Organised Crime Office
(GHC1million), to support its operations; and Ministry of Tourism
(GHC150K), to host UNWTO/Africa Regional Congress of Women in Tourism
Conference.
“You are advised to complete the necessary documentation for payment of
the approved donations to the respective beneficiaries,” the memo
instructed.
According to the memo, GNPC’s approval was for the payments of the
various sponsorship and support requests the companies presented to the
Board.
So, the lingering question is what business did the Financial Times Ltd
do for the GNPC to warrant a whopping sum of GBP55,000.00, that is
GHC379,257.89?
What programme will warrant the GNPC to support the Executive Programme
for Ambassadors or what role did these ambassadors play or what work
did they do for GNPC to be allocated SGD35,000.00?
Find attached the full documents below
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