NDC claims, on GNPC ‘s $1 billion, are absurd – Energy Ministry
The Communications Director of the Ministry of Energy, Nana Oppong Damoah, has described as absurd claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) spent $1 billion without Parliamentary approval.
“In this country, as it stands if indeed GNPC has managed to borrow $1 billion without parliamentary approval, and as parliamentarians they sit down and allow this to go on, then that tells you the quality of debates that we have within the Parliament of Ghana,” he said in response to the claim.
He was responding to the allegations made at the NDC’s policy dialogue on energy.
He had no kind words for the NDC’s platform, which sought to offer policy alternatives to what the government is currently implementing.
According to him, this NDC policy dialogue has been extremely disappointing.
The NDC’s Member of Parliament for Yapei/ Kusawgu, John Jinapor, who addressed the gathering earlier on Wednesday, claimed that the GNPC borrowed the funds without the endorsement.
Akufo-Addo gov’t has disbursed $46k per constituency, not $1m – John Jinapor
But reacting to the NDC’s allegations in an interview monitored on Citi FM, Mr Damoah maintained that the allegation was far from the truth.
He dared the Minority to go court if they believed that the loan was taken without Parliamentary approval.
“Nothing stops anyone of them from going to the Supreme court to declare that GNPC has condoned illegality, ” he stressed.
The NDC promised to increase its generation capacity and export power to Ghana’s neigbours, when it returns to power.
The government, however, holds the opposite view as it believes that the extra capacity cost the country in excess of $500 million annually.
Read the Ministry’s response to the NDC policy dialogue series