Mahama presidency bagged over GH¢22m BOST cash – Majority

• Posted on July 1, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Majority in Parliament has called for a forensic, ‘high-profile’ investigations into the operations of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) as the 5million litres of contaminated fuel saga spirals into partisan proportions.

At a press conference Friday, the MP for Odotobri, Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi, justified the NPP’s demand for an investigations by reading out a list of ‘scandalous’ transactions at BOST under the tenure of the former CEO.#

What began as the possibility of 5million litres of contaminated flooding the market has escalated into a full-blown partisan face-saving and point-scoring.

The government after being attacked by the Minority for the past three days has officially launched a push-back.

The Odotobri MP, flanked by the Majority leader Osei-Kyei Bonsu, accused Kwame Awuah Darko of transferring “unexplained colossal amount” to the seat of government last year.

Majority leader Osei-Kyei Mensah Bonsu

The amount range between ¢2.5million and ¢3.5million and was twice every month between October 2015 to June 2016.

He also said Kwame Awuah Darko engaged a financial consultant on a $50,000 salary for 36 months. The NDC appointee also rented a $310,000 property at the Airport residential area at the expense of BOST,  but the house was kept under lock and key and never used, he claimed.

“If BOST were a private enterprise will the owners subject it to such abuse?” he queried.

Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi ended the list of sins of the former administration, concluding that “there has been a lot of wrong at BOST”

The call for investigations should get the nod from the Minority who made similar calls three days ago. But the partisan gridlock could be expected when a discussion of which body should carry out the investigations begins.

Take out this bi-partisan consensus on the need for investigations and the partisanship returns. The Majority and Minority disagree on several points in this contaminated fuel saga.

The minority NDC fired salvos at the NPP government  and called for the immediate interdiction of the BOST CEO Mr. Alfred Obeng Boateng.

Led by former Energy minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah who is the Minority’s the spokesperson on Energy, the NDC also faulted the CEO for cutting shady deals.

The Minority said 5million litres of contaminated fuel should have been processed to restore it to good use instead of selling it off.

The Minority also accused the CEO of doing business with unlicensed companies – Zup Oil and Movenpiina. Mr. Obeng Boateng is also accused of causing financial loss to the state which they estimated at GHS 14.25 million.

But the NPP has pointed out, the contamination of fuel is not a new phenomenon. Akuapim South NPP MP Osei Bonsu Amoah has revealed at least 12 million litres was contaminated in what both parties agree is caused by ‘human error’.

Fresh evidence available suggests millions of litres of contaminated fuel was sold to 36 million entities and individuals between March 2015 and November 2016 during the tenure of the former CEO Kwame Awuah Darko.

He has also been accused of cronyism as the political equalisation battle rages on.

The Majority has explained, BOST  sold off the contaminated fuel because it would have cost the company $3million to process the unsafe product over several months.

The best option available to Obeng Boateng was to sell it off, the MPs rejected the Minority’s claim of poor management decision.

The contaminated fuel is useful for some ‘operational purposes’.

The off-spec products are used by the steel, garment, petro-chemical companies to run their machinery. It can also be used as mixture for asphalt and turpentine to prevent decay of wood.

-jnews