Minority in Parliament has expressed disappointment in the Ministry of Energy’s attempt of deceiving Ghanaians in believing that there is a new discovery of five hundred fifty million barrels of oil by Aker Energy.

According to the ranking member of Energy and Mines, Adam Mutawakilu in a statement indicated that action and inaction of government have resulted in a loss opportunity for the country to earn money.

He called on government to explain to Ghanaians why Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) did not exercise the option to acquire ten percent share in Hess block.

In addition why is Aker Energy not required to bring in a local partner as LUKOIL did when it acquired its shares in the Hess Block?

“Where is the forty seven million dollars (US$ 47m) approved by Parliament and subsequently transferred to GNPC?”

The Minority is demanding that all well meaning Ghanaians, including the Institute for Energy Security (IES), the African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), and the Natural Resources Governance Institute to assist Ghanaians in demanding accountability from Government with respect to the subject matter.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

A Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Joseph Diodiok Kpemka is leading a high powered government delegation to the United Arab Emirates for a possible extradition negotiation arrangements with Authorities of that country for the prompt extradition of embattled Menzgold CEO, Nana Appiah Mensah to face prosecution back home in Ghana where an arrest warrant has been issued against him.

The delegation’s mission according to the deputy minister will be to “try to strike a deal with the government of the Emirates to see to it that he is brought back to Ghana to face justice.”

“We are going to elevate this through law and diplomacy so that we try and get to the bottom of the matter there. If there are no specific charges he is answering in the UAE all will be done within the remits of the law and diplomacy to get him extradited to face justice and to answer to charges that have been proffered against him.”

The diplomatic engagement has become necessary because there is no existence of an extradition treaty between Ghana and the UAE, that binds them to extradite Mr. Appiah Mensah to Ghana upon request and there is also no clarity about whether or not NAM 1 traveled on a Ghanaian passport.

Other members of the delegation include a representative from the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security.

Nana Appiah Mensah popularly known as NAM 1 is reported to be in the Emirate Police custody since December 7, 2018 for an alleged gold deal offence which is not related to the Menzgold case in Ghana where he is unable to pay hundreds of Ghanaians their investments.

The decision to travel to UAE for the negotiation was taken after a crucial meeting of security chiefs after it emerged that NAM1 was arrested in Dubai.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com

The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) caucus in Parliament has expressed surprise at the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) of its attempt at deceiving the Ghanaian populace of making a new 550 million barrels discoveries of oil by Aker Energy.

According to the minority in a statement the discoveries were rather made between 2011 and 2013 by Hess as the explorer under the erstwhile NDC government.

The minority stated that, what Aker Energy did since 2018 after taking over from Hess was to conduct drilling Appraisal wells based on Hess’s acquired data to determine the commercial nature of the discoveries that were made in 2012 and 2013.

The press release issued by Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee, Adams Mutawakilu provides details of the work done by Hess under the former regime to counter the claim by government.

“The exploration period for the Deepwater Tano Cape Three Point Block was seven (7) years. As such, the exploration license expired on 18th July 2013.

During the exploration period, the Operator (Hess) had acquired a total of 300 Sq. Km of Seismic data, drilled eight (8)  Exploratory wells and made seven (7) successive discoveries; Five (5) for oil and two (2) for gas between 2011 and 2013. This translates into about 87.5% success rate of discovery,” the Minority clarified.

The NDC said government’s actions and inaction following the oil find have rather resulted in a loss of opportunity for the country to earn money.

The release further questioned the whereabouts of $47 million approved by Parliament, and its subsequent transfer to the Ghana National Petroleum Company to purchase a 10% share of Hess Ghana in 2015.

The Minority also provided details of the discoveries with name of Well and date of discovery as indicated below:

Paradise 16th May, 2012, Hickory North 8th Jun, 2012, Beech 3rd Sep, 2012, Almond 11th Oct, 2012, Pecan 6th Dec, 2012, Cob 22nd Jan, 2013 and Pecan North 18th Feb, 2013.

Aside Paradise and Hickory North which carried gas, the rest are oil discoveries.

Aker Energy however announced that its oil exploration in the deepwater Cape Three Points since last year showed that its Pecan4A well in the block could be holding some 450 to 550 million barrels of oil.

The Pecan field is approximately 166 kilometres southwest of Takoradi in Ghana, to a vertical depth of 4,870 meters in 2,667 meters of water, containing seven discoveries.

This however did not go down well with the minority, hence the response.

Christian Kpesese/ghanamps.com

Two National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament, Alhassan Suhuyini and Ernest Henry Norgbey, have dragged 35 mining companies, the Attorney-General and the Minerals Commission to the Supreme for allegedly violating Ghana’s constitution.

According to the Tamale North and Ashaiman MP, the mining firms including Newmont, Anglogold Ashanti, Golden Star Resources, Ghana Bauxite Company, among others, have effectively been engaging in illegal mining without the ratification of their leases, while the supervising authorities looked on unconcerned.

The young lawmakers claim all 35 companies violated article 268 of the 1992 Constitution by carrying on mining operations at a time when Parliament had not ratified their mining leases in accordance with article 268 of the constitution.

They argue that unless and until Parliament gives approval to a mining agreement, the holder of the mining agreement cannot carry on any mining activity.

The MPs are therefore praying the Court to order the defaulting mining companies to refund all monies or financial benefits that have accrued to them as a result of illegality.

“A further declaration that all revenues and financial gains (proceeds) made by 3rd to 37th defendants pursuant to carrying out the exploitation of mineral rights and other natural resources in violation of the provisions of article 268 of the 1992 Constitution, must be declared and accounted for to the government of the Republic of Ghana, from the date when they respectively started such exploitation of minerals and natural resources” they stated in the writ.

Mr Ablakwa and Norgbey also want the court to restrain the firms from further operations until the necessary ratification is done.

“An order of perpetual injunction restraining 3rd to 37th defendants from carrying on any exploitation of minerals or other natural resources unless and until their respective transactions, contracts and undertakings with the government of the Republic of Ghana, are ratified or exempted from ratification by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, in accordance with the provisions of article 268 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana,” they added in their writ.

Christian Kpesese/ ghanamps.com