The Concerned Youth of Nzema Manle in the Western region has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to, as a matter of tradition, appoint a qualified Nzema as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) at Atuabo.
According to the group, recent happenings at the Ghana Gas Company, have left most well-meaning Ghanaians particularly, persons familiar with the company’s modus operandi and people within the Gas sites, surprised and agitated.
This was contained in a press statement issued and signed by Secretary to the Concerned Youth of Nzema Manle, Mr Albert Kweku Blay on behalf of the group and copied to the media.
The statement said “last week, as our compatriots were organizing with the divisional police command for a peaceful demonstration, we were happy to read on social media that Dr Ben Asante had resigned as CEO of Ghana Gas.
“However, after a further investigation from reliable sources, we learnt that Dr Asante had actually been reassigned.”
The statement said this unexpected turn of events briefly sparked a sense of relief with the anticipation that the government’s action would address the concerns regarding the leadership at Ghana Gas.
However, the situation was frustrating when the government failed to appoint a permanent CEO leaving the Company under the leadership of a Caretaker CEO.
According to the statement, the individual now serving in this temporal capacity, currently, the Director of Operations, seems to be trying desperately to secure the CEO position permanently.
The statement said “this is concerning, notably, since the key assets like the four generator sets at Atuabo site deteriorated alarmingly under his watch.
“Despite these issues, he appears to be positioning himself as a viable candidate for the CEO role, which directly contradicts the government’s commitment to appointing someone from the Western Region especially the Nzema land.
While we respect the right of the Caretaker CEO to lobby for the position, we are deeply disturbed by the Machiavellian tactics employed to achieve this goal which include efforts to sow discord within the Western Region and manipulate public opinion.”
The statement observed that “this individual has become a media personality with news outlets promoting him and spreading misleading narratives.
“Some media outlets have even published internal photographs and false claims regarding his supposed acceptance by Ghana Gas staff.”
The statement said what is more troubling is that “the Caretaker CEO and his supporters have begun circulating false claims that the country’s energy security is at risk if an internal engineer is not appointed to head the company”.
It added that “this preposterous rhetoric is not only unfounded but also dangerous as it creates unnecessary fear and instability, undermining the government’s efforts to appoint a qualified CEO.
“We believe that such tactics, which seeks to manipulate national sentiments for selfish gain, should be treated as a threat to national security and the relevant authorities should act to prevent any actions that may jeopardize the integrity of our national assets.”
The statement also noted as essential to highlight the need for a CEO who can help the government’s developmental agenda, particularly regarding resource management.
The statement said appointing an indigenous expert from the Western Region, would significantly contribute to fulfilling the President’s promises of ensuring equitable development for all Regions of the country.
“We wish to emphasize that our call for an indigenous person from the Western Region to be appointed CEO, is rooted in the spirit of the 1992 Constitution with reference to the Directive Principle of State Policy which mandates that regional balance be considered in public appointments.”
It observed that the current state of affairs, shows that the Western Region has not been adequately represented at the highest levels of state companies.
“This Regional imbalance is unfair and contrary to our constitution’s principles of equitable opportunity and representation.”
The statement believes that significant socio-economic reasons sexist for appointing a native to lead Ghana Gas.
It said “right years ago, the Region had a visible and substantial representation among the staff of Ghana Gas”.
“However, this is not the case today as the rate of employment opportunities for indigenous people has declined dramatically”.
This, the statement noted, had led to a situation where even minor jobs are given to individuals outside the Region while the local community’s participation in the company’s operations, has diminished.
It pointed out that “in commitment to the national goal, their people provided lands without prior compensation with the view that at least, the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility would spur growth.
“On the contrary, under the guise of redefinition of the operational area, the company decided to renege on its natural commitment relatively with other Regions having received far more developmental projects than the Western Region, a gross injustice to the people who have contributed so much to Ghana’s energy sector.
The statement observed that the Western Region has made immense contributions to the national economy and it is time for the Region to benefit from its share of national resources.
It therefore implored government to honour her commitment to the people of the Western Region by appointing a qualified and deserving CEO of Ghana Gas.