Alfred Obeng
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Efutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has revealed the reason why Alfred Obeng-Boateng was removed as the Managing Director of state-owned Bulk Oil Storage and Transport Company (BOST).
He said Mr. Obeng Boateng was relieved of his position because he tried to apply the rules strictly and said it was ‘unfair’ for him to go.
Mr. Obeng Boateng had a torrid time trying to put things right but was removed last June after over a year in office following a series of scandals.
A letter signed by the Executive Secretary to the President, Nana Bediatuo Asante, said Mr Obeng Boateng has until Friday, June 8, to hand over to one George Mensah Okley who was working at the Ministry of Energy.
One of the major controversies during Mr. Obeng Boateng’s reign as BOST MD was the issue relating to the sale of contaminated fuel to some private organisations.
He was, however, cleared by Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), according to then Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, who had set up a committee to investigate the sale.
Contributing toJoy FM’s news analysis programme, Newsfile, last Saturday, the MP said the ex-BOST boss tried to block all the loopholes that was rendering BOST ineffective and stood firm in cleaning up the mess there but some cartel in the petroleum sector with vested interests made him look bad in the eyes of the appointing authority through smear campaigns.
When the host enquired whether Mr. Obeng Boateng was relieved of his position based on just public opinion, the MP said the facts available to him showed clearly that there was no ‘wrongdoing’ on the part of the BOST boss unless somebody had a fact contrary to what is on the ground.
He said Mr. Obeng Boateng made strenuous efforts to bring sanity into the activities at BOST but was sabotaged by the powerful cartel in the sector.
The MP explained that in an attempt to streamline and clean up the rot, the cartel in the oil sector got hurt and ganged up against him and created negative impression about his leadership and incited the public against him.
He said he regretted Mr. Obeng Boateng was not re-assigned and admitted that politics is sometimes not a game of fairness.
By William Yaw Owusu