The workers of Ghana National Gas Company have continued to express their displeasure about the way the Gas Industry is being managed by the Energy Minister.
Gas currently contributes to about 75% of Ghana’s current energy supply mix and it is known to be cheaper and less environmentally offensive as compared to liquid fuel and coal.
The illustrious inspiration by Ex-President H.E. John Evans Atta Mills, according to the workers, despite several options from foreign (private) companies to build a gas processing plant allowed for the establishment of a government company in the name of Ghana National Gas Company (Ghana Gas) which was finally commissioned by our Ex-President H.E John Dramani Mahama.
In a Statement issued by the workers, they averred that President Nana Addo through with his vision saw to indigenisation of Ghana Gas which has saved the country over $2.8M dollars a day and also provided direct and indirect job opportunities to over thousand two hundred (1,200) Ghanaians.
According to the workers the indigenization agenda has not only provided employment opportunities to Ghanaians but has also provided massive infrastructure development in Health, Education and Sports through the Corporate Social Responsibility projects executed by Ghana Gas. Therefore, there is the need to critically look at this sector and see how best the nation will continue to maximize and protect its benefits in the sector.
The indigenisation agenda they averred, commenced in 2017 and had since had a presidential backing. The agenda also had continuous support from the then Minister of Energy, Hon. Boakye Agyarko and his successor Hon. John Peter Amewu. With the support, Ghana Gas had under these former Ministers, workers of Ghana Gas are dismayed at the way the current Minister of Energy, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, is handling the issue of concurrent existence of Genser Energy Ghana Limited’s (GEGL/Genser) Gas Conditioning Plant and Ghana Gas’ Gas Processing Plant Train 2.
“This, they believe, reverses the hard-earned indigenisation achievement by his predecessors. Ghana Gas is 100% owned by the state whiles Genser is known to have about 90% of its shares being owned by foreigners. It is also known that Genser repatriates over 80% of its revenue to South Africa. Therefore, it baffles the minds of workers of Ghana Gas for any Minister of State to do the bidding of Genser at the expense of a state-owned company. It is worthy to note that Ghana Gas derives its obligation to construct a second Gas Processing Plant from the 2022 President’s State of the Nation Address. The President was emphatic that Ghana Gas will be building a second Gas Processing Plant with a higher capacity than the existing Gas Processing Plant.”
The workers believe that as an entity protecting the interest of government, the ministry is expected to see to the building of the second state-owned Gas Processing Plant and also ensure that it has enough supply of raw gas thereby fulfilling the President’s ambition of building a second gas processing plant during his tenure, and that the posturing of the Minister does not reflect this Presidential Vision.
“The Minister has given approval to the 50MMSCFD of raw gas supply to Genser’s plant, which workers of Ghana Gas are hoping that His Excellency the President overturns.”
“Having analysed the issues and information gathered from the Ministry of Energy, the Senior Staff Association of Ghana Gas is convinced that the sector Minister is bent on pushing this Genser deal despite several calls from sister companies including VRA, GRIDCO and ECG (whose operations have also been taken over in the mining sector in the west by Genser) that
In view of all these concerns, the Senior Staff Association of Ghana Gas are questioning the Minister of Energy’s commitment to the construction of the second state-owned Gas Processing Plant and the entire indigenisation drive of the sector.
They are therefore calling on the Presidency to intervene, since the President’s dream of having a second Gas Processing Plant is on the line.
