Mr. Newtown Godfred Amoh addressing the media with other union members.
Unionized staff of the Bulk Oil Storage Transport (BOST) Limited have expressed displeasure over moves to kick out the Managing Director of the company, Alfred Obeng Boateng.
According to the workers, who were clad in red bands, the sale of contaminated products is not new in respect of the operations of the company.
The workers said since 2014, BOST has been receiving requests from dealers of off-spec products and have been supplying them with consignments.
They expressed surprise over recent agitations over the sale of an off-spec product to a particular company with the same procedures that have been used over the years.
The union believed that the agreed selling price of GH¢1.30 was competitive, compared to the price offered by the previous administration, which it noted, had not attracted any attention from the current minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) in parliament.
The staff said that the misinformation in the public domain was to stop the managing director from going ahead with the ongoing probe into the numerous cases of malfeasance in past contracts.
“The deliberate attempt to put impediments on Mr. Alfred Obeng-Boateng’s way is unacceptable, hence our decision to register our displeasure. The presence of this MD has brought unity amongst staff, and he has also demonstrated clear leadership with clear direction and plans for the company,” the staff pointed out.
These were contained in a petition by the workers to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which was read by the local union’s secretary, Newtown Godfred Amoh, on Thursday at the Accra Plans Depot, Kpone, near Tema.
According to the union secretary, “We wish to establish that stakeholders were consulted in the process leading to the sale of the product, including Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), etc.”
He believes that the agitations and misinformation being put out by the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers Ghana (COPEC-GH), African Centre of Energy Policy (ACEP) and the Minority in Parliament were to destroy the integrity of the managing director.
Ministerial Committee
Touching on the composition of the ministerial committee, Mr Newtown Amoh described it as a biased committee with members who want BOST out of business.
“The biased composition of the ministerial committee which involves the very industry players (BDCs and OMCs) who want BOST out of business, may have the tendency of depriving the vast majority of Ghanaians of enjoying competitive price in the petroleum downstream,” according to him.
“Also, it will be a dangerous move if the government should allow only the BDCs to handle petroleum products trading and distribution activities. Possibly a cartel could be formed to sabotage the government at a very critical moment.”
Mr Newtown Godfred Amoh therefore called on the public to disregard the call by the NDC for the interdiction of Mr Obeng-Boateng.
He charged, “The Honourable Members should rather support the MD’s quest to ensuring that all who have aided in looting the nation through BOST are duly punished.
“The local union wishes to assure our MD that we fully support him in his good cause, because we believe he will succeed and continually seek the interest of the company by bringing to book those who seek the downfall of the organization with our (union) support.”
From Vincent Kubi, Tema