[ 2015-12-01 ]

GHc1 million payment to Tsikata ‘appalling’ – Sir John
Former General Secretary of the opposition New
Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, has
described as appalling the amount of money paid
former CEO of the Ghana National Petroleum
Corporation, Tsatsu Tsikata as ex-gratia. Mr.
Tsikata received GHc1 million from the GNPC along
with three others who were given varied colossal
sums as end of service benefit for serving the
corporation in different capacities.

The GNPC had explained that Mr. Tsikata, Esther
Cobbah, Asafu-Adjaye and Benjamin Dagadu, served
the corporation for periods ranging between 12 and
21 years, adding that they were all removed from
office in 2001 under circumstances that did not
allow for the payment of their respective
accumulated separation entitlements. Meanwhile,
the Minority Spokesperson on Energy and Mines,
K.T. Hammond, who has described the payments as
“criminal” is advocating for the Economic and
Organized Crime Office (EOCO) to probe the matter.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie,
also a former employee of the GNPC supported calls
for the payments to be investigated.

Sir John, as he is popularly called, lamented
that, although he also served the corporation, on
no occasion has he been invited for ex-gratia.

“The payment to Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, Esther
Cobbah, Asafu-Adjaye and Benjamin Dagadu is
mind-boggling. Indeed I never received a farthing
since I left GNPC in 2004 and so it surprises me
that in Tsatsu Tsikata’s case, he has not made a
case for any money to be paid to him; why in the
name of God will this current board and its
chairman propose that payment to these people?
It’s really bad and appalling and I think that
the call by K.T. Hammond is in the right
direction,” he added.

He said an investigation will unravel the truth in
the matter because “these gentlemen and the lady
I’m told have not on their own asked for any
money to be paid to them because they know that
they are not due any such money. Why in the name
of God will this board decide to pay such whopping
monies to them…I think that an investigation
will unravel that.”

Source - Citifmonline

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