Audio By Carbonatix
The Minority in Parliament is demanding an immediate interdiction of the head of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) Company over the raging controversy about the contaminated fuel.
The group insists the circumstances under which 5million litres of fuel was contaminated and sold under bizarre circumstances to a new company is dubious and has led to a 14.25million financial loss to the state.
At a press conference, Tuesday, the spokesperson on Energy, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah wants Alfred Obeng probed and all the litres of contaminated fuel withdrawn from the market.
The call by the Minority follows a similar demand by energy think tank Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP).
In what BOST has described as “human error” 5 million litres of oil was said to have been contaminated after diesel was mixed with Petrol.
This error, according to ACEP has caused the country over Ȼ7million in revenue.
As if that is not enough, ACEP believes, the contaminated fuel was sold to a company, Movenpiina, under very bizarre circumstances and to worsen matters the contaminated fuel has ended up in the tanks and engines of consumers.
Executive Director of ACEP Ben Boakye claims to have, unknowingly, bought a contaminated fuel with the potential of damaging his engine.
It cannot be immediately ascertained if the contaminated fuel is the same one BOST sold to Movenpiina.
Meanwhile, officials at BOST have been vehement in denying that the contaminated oil has ended up onto the market.
Media Relations Manager at BOST Nana Akua Adubea Obeng said on Joy FM’s morning show programme, Tuesday, only 100,000 litres of the contaminated product has been released to Movenpiina.
According to her, the remaining 4.9 million litres is sitting in the tanks at BOST and waiting to be offloaded.
She also insisted that their tracking system has shown that 100,000 litres released so far to Movenpiina is still within the tanks of the company and has not been released onto the market.
But the Minority in Parliament is not impressed. Joy News’ Parliamentary correspondent Joseph Opoku Gakpo reported the Minority Spokesperson on Energy as saying the decision to sell the contaminated fuel to Movepiina was not only inappropriate but corrupt.
They do not understand why a contaminated product must be sold at all cost and to a new company, when such contaminated fuel is always given to Tema Oil Refinery for treatment.
"The justification by BOST that the contaminated products were sold for use by manufacturing companies is untenable. The norm and practice is that when contamination occur, corrective treatment of these products are undertaken by TOR through blending,” Armah Kofi Buah said at the press conference.
The Minority also stated there was no competitive bidding for the sale of the product to Movenpiina and accused the MD Albert Obeng of engaging in “high level corruption.”
The minority wants officials at BOST to be surcharged with the 14.25million, an amount it claims to be the estimated financial loss, officials of the company have caused to the state.
They also want a full scale investigation into the matter.
Latest Stories
-
National Peace Council urges investment in youth to sustain Ghana’s peace
2 minutes -
Afenyo-Markin urges youth to speak up against injustice
13 minutes -
CAF annuls Edo Queens victory, orders WAFU B final to resume from extra time
35 minutes -
Interior Minister urges traditional authorities to enforce anti-bushfire bye-laws
37 minutes -
3rd Republic Bank-JoyNews Habitat Fair Clinic ends on a high note after three days of strong patronage
39 minutes -
Ten climbers missing after avalanche hits Himalayan base camp
1 hour -
NPP had more permanent fuel relief measures than current GH¢2 diesel cut – Amin Adam
2 hours -
Photos from the 3rd Republic Bank-JoyNews Habitat Fair Clinic
2 hours -
Ethiopia’s army promises restraint amid fears of new civil war
2 hours -
Amin Adam calls for review of fuel taxes as diesel prices remain above GH¢18
2 hours -
World Vision Ghana, Ahafo districts sign MoU for universal WASH coverage
3 hours -
When the gold engine stutters: What Ghana’s Cedi and reserves are telling us about the new economic architecture
3 hours -
Two reportedly die after being trapped in mining pit at Juaboso
3 hours -
Petrosol cleans up Wa Municipal Hospital, to donate medical equipment
3 hours -
‘If NPP was ‘insensitive’ over fuel prices, NDC must accept same description now’ — Amin Adam
4 hours