ghananlpcommunity/ghana-gov-speeches-sentences huggingface dataset:
Furthermore, to anchor the gains made and ensure Ghana becomes one of the leading oil producers in Africa, we passed the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act 919, 2016 to provide an enabling environment for increased private participation and investment in the sector.
We were also determined to ensure Ghana did not lose out to the private sector.
To this end, the NDC adopted a long term vision of positioning GNPC as a major operator in the oil sector.
To attain this objective, we created an Exploration and Production subsidiary – “Explorco” – in 2012 to pursue commercial stakes in strategically selected exploration and production projects.
Also, as a social democratic government that has always believed in indigenous Ghanaian entrepreneurs assuming the commanding heights of the economy and fully participating in the oil and gas sector, we passed the Ghana Local Content Law (Ghana) in 2013 .
The law prioritises Ghanaians and their businesses in the award of contracts and employment of staff in the petroleum industry.
We finally passed the Public Financial Management Act 921 in 2016 , to among others ensure, discipline and efficient use of public funds as well as the safety, custody and integrity of public funds in line with new global trends.
In addition, to maximize the benefits from the petroleum value chain, we developed a comprehensive Gas Master Plan which led to the development of an ultramodern Gas Processing Plant at Atuabo.
The plant utilises the country's gas resource and further ensures the security of energy supply.
President Mahama also took the bold decision to bring finality to the protracted maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Ivory Coast.
This brought certainty to the exploration and production of Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources in the disputed fields.
Last but not least, our belief in accelerated development through value addition, led us to reposition BOST and TOR.
We, further, secured two (2) million barrels of Ghana's crude oil from the TEN fields to be processed by TOR.
Ladies and Gentlemen, unfortunately, and sadly, our sterling performance in the oil and gas sector have been derailed by the incompetent, greedy and corrupt Akufo-Addo government and his cabal of family and friends.
The Petroleum Sector Under Akufo-Addo The current NPP administration has rolled back the clock of progress through underhand dealings and general mismanagement of the sector.
The mismanagement of the sector has resulted in waned investor interest in Ghana’s oil sector, diminishing local participation in the upstream sector and reduced confidence in our upstream regulatory institutions as evidenced by the disastrous maiden bidding rounds for blocks under the NPP.
All these are happening at a time that Ghana has successfully won the maritime boundary dispute.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish to draw specifically on two agreements: the AGM; and AKER agreements to illustrate the corruption and decay that we have investigated and unearthed under President Akufo-Addo in the sector.
Sate Sponsored Corruption: The AGM (South Deepwater Tano Petroleum Agreement) Agreement It will be recalled that in 2014 the Parliament of Ghana approved an agreement between the GNPC, GNPC Explorco, and AGM (itself a joint venture among AGR Energy - Gibraltar, Minexco, and a local Ghanaian Company; MED Songhai).
Under the agreement, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) secured 10% free carried interest, an additional 15% of Participating interest.
GNPC’s Exploration and Production Company Limited (Explorco) also secured 24% commercial interest.
However, soon after assuming office, the Akufo-Addo led government decided against all technical and commercial advice to open these agreements for renegotiation under bizarre and opaque circumstances.
In the renegotiated agreement, GNPC’s additional participating interest was reduced from 15% to 3%.
As if that was not enough Explorco’s commercial interest of 24% was dropped to Zero .
I mean nothing!
Similar to the Ameri/Mytilineos deal (in which we were informed President Akufo-Addo was misled to issue an Executive Approval); the BOST/Movenpiina saga; and the ECG/PDS family and friends deal which has culminated in over US$300 million direct and indirect loss to Ghana, we suspected foul play because the renegotiated agreement is by far the worst deal in the history of Ghana's petroleum sector.
How on earth could GNPC Explorco drop from 24% to nothing (0%)?
And if I may add on which planet will GNPC itself also drop from 15% to 3%?
Fellow Ghanaians, even Bokassa, Idi Amin and Mobutu Sessekou will envy this level of state-sponsored corruption.
Our investigations have revealed that a new company by name Quad Energy (which was subsequently awarded a 5% free carried interest) was being registered a month before the Akufo-Addo led Government triggered the Parliamentary processes to amend the Petroleum Agreement.
The critical question is, who are the beneficial owners of Quad Petroleum Company Limited?
What services did Quad Petroleum offer to warrant a free 5% carried interest in the Petroleum Agreement?
Why this very company registered a month before parliamentary approval was sought still beats the imagination of many well-meaning Ghanaians and experts in the petroleum sector.
Sate Sponsored Corruption: Ladies and Gentlemen, The AKER/AGM agreement is the highest level of betrayal by this Government.
It clearly smacks of corruption and raises serious transparency and accountability issues?
Indeed, the renegotiated deal was so bad that Parliament in the exercise of its constitutional duty, could not help but direct the Minister of Energy, Mr.
Peter Amewu, to renegotiate the Participating Interest of the State upward from 3% to 10%.
Mr Amewu was also directed to ensure a speedy resolution of the issues surrounding the clandestine liquidation of the shares of MED Songhai – the original Ghanaian shareholder.
The Minister was further directed to report to Parliament within 6 months.
This is what a nation reaps when its President refuses to protect the nation’s silver.
Interestingly, the Minister refused to act on Parliament's directive within the stipulated time, a clear case of impunity.
On the contrary, to our shock and dismay, with some few days for Parliament to rise, the Minister of Energy presented to parliament yet another amendment to this very agreement alongside another AKER Agreement and demanded approval for very sweeping and outrageous concessions for the Company.
These concessions represent the most radical political attack on Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector since the commencement of the fourth Republic.
Indeed, the concessions in the amendment are so outrageous that only a Government that has been compromised will ever contemplate plundering the resources of the state to such unimaginable levels.
The amendments submitted to Parliament by the Akufo-Addo government contained the following: Minister’s Reasonable Assistance This provision obligates the Minister to provide “reasonable assistance” to ensure that Contractors obtain all licenses, consents and/or authorisations” required for its work.
This most unusual amendment makes the Minister the errand-boy for Contractors and undermines the autonomy of regulators and permit givers who are not necessarily under the authority or jurisdiction of the Minister.
Production Technology This provision stipulates that the Minister no longer has authority in approving or rejecting a Plan of Development to determine what technologies will be used in developing and producing Ghana’s hydrocarbon resources.
Taxation and other Imports Sadly, these amendments provide a sweeping tax exemption for Aker and AGM, its sub-contractors and sub-sub-contractors.
No withholding taxes in the case of AGM and a reduced withholding tax rate of 5% instead of the 15% withholding tax for any work or services or supply or use of goods, both to domestic and international transactions.
Sub-Contractor Tax Exemption The transaction between Subcontractors to sub-contractor is also not subjected to Withholding tax.
Fellow Ghanaians, the direct beneficiary of these give-aways will be the Norwegian Multinational, AKER which owns and controls both Aker Ghana and AGM and their cronies.
Unfortunately, the direct loser is Ghana.
What is most worrying is, the cumulative of the medium to long term effect of all these give-aways will be a loss of national control over our precious petroleum resources.
Ladies and Gentlemen, a lot has gone wrong and continues to go wrong in Ghana’s energy sector under Nana Akufo-Addo.
It has gotten to the point that whenever we see a joint memorandum from the Honourable Ministers of Finance and Energy, we are filled with trepidation especially as Ghanaians have not yet recovered from the PDS scandal, the Ameri/Mytilineos scandal and the BOST/Movenpiina Scandal.
The Records: John Mahama Vrs Akuffo-Addo There is a popular saying that, onto whom much is given, much is expected, this adage is certainly not the case when it comes to President Akuffo-Addo and he will surely go down in history as the President who achieved very little for this country despite receiving unprecedented revenue flows.
From the annual petroleum reconciliation reports as published by the Bank of Ghana whereas President John Mahama received a total of 6.4 Billion Cedis, Akuffo-Addo is on course to receive a whopping 20.6 Billion Cedis.
Due to the increased receipts from petroleum resources, trade balance for 2018 recorded a surplus of US$1,617.81 billion.
However, a look at the current account balance as at September 2018 clearly shows a deficit of 1.4 percent.
Whereas President Mahama received total ESLA revenues of 3 billion Cedis, President Akufo-Addo has so far received 9 billion Cedis and scheduled to receive 12 Billion by end of 2020.
The critical question is, what has the Akufo-Addo government used the money for despite all these huge revenue inflows?
On the contrary the utilisation of revenues especially ABFA and ESLA proceeds under this administration has been most disappointing.
For instance, in the 2018 financial year, only 49% of ABFA expenditure was used for capital expenditure whilst 51% was utilized for the supply of goods and services, a clear violation of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act.
Furthermore, the lack of both transparency and accountability that has characterised the oil sector under President Akuffo-Addo really gives cause for worry.
The PIAC report of 2017 and 2018 reveals that US $655 million out of the total figure transferred to the ABFA which were not utilised cannot be accounted for.
In effect US$655 million of Ghana's Petroleum revenues have vanished into thin air.
Ladies and Gentlemen, It is sad to note that the GNPC which was well-positioned and better resourced to serve the national interest before we left office has been saddled with huge debts due to mismanagement and high levels of opacity has characterized the corporation.
Available records prove that total guarantees and loans procured by GNPC between 2017 and 2019 has risen sharply to about US$1 billion.
Even more worrying is the fact that these gargantuan loans have been contracted without the requisite parliamentary approval in contravention of the PFMA 921.
With respect to Ghana Gas, the NDC demonstrated a better foresight by successfully completing the Atuabo Gas Processing Plant , which has dramatically improved reliable fuel supply in Ghana.
It has also reduced the cost of fuel for thermal power production.
The Atuabo Gas Processing Plant has also led to an estimated savings of over US$300Million per annum due a reduction of about 80% in LCO imports.
This is visionary leadership – thank you, President Atta Mills, of blessed memory; and thank you, President Mahama.
Today, the plant is able to supply about 50% of domestic LPG needs and has created employment throughout the Gas value chain.
Thank you, my ministers, of energy and power and all those who made this vision a reality.
But, the story of Ghana under this Government is a sad one.
Despite huge receivables from ESLA, the total indebtedness to GNGC stood at US$750,963,424.91 by the end of 2018.
If I may ask again, what have they used the monies for?
The resultant effect of their reckless expenditures has culminated in critical sections of the Ghanaian economy retrogressing.
POWER SECTOR DISTORTIONS Ladies and Gentlemen, Before I state our policy alternatives, permit me to touch briefly on the power sector in order to shed light on some pertinent issues.
I will be brief.
Let me put on record that President Mahama comprehensively solved "DUMSOR."
It was a generational problem but he took the bull by the horn and fixed the problem.
Dr Bawumia is on record to have urged Ghanaians not to give Mahama credit for fixing dumsor.
So what was Bawumia doing in Kumasi when he lied that they – the NPP, solved dumsor?
I dare challenge this Government to switch off President Mahama’s power plants and the Gas processing plant and I bet you with my last penny, Ghana shall witness DUMSOR of unimaginable magnitude.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the claim by the NPP Government of so-called excess capacity charges is nothing but a ruse to create another avenue to fleece the ordinary Ghanaian.
Documents presented by the ECG which is the sole off-taker to these Power Purchase Agreements to Parliament only ended up betraying the insincerity on the part of the Finance Minister.
The facts pointed to a completely different picture.
Typical of the NPP, whilst Government officials were busy complaining about what they described as cost arising from excess capacity, a new company by name STRATCON ENERGY was being incorporated in 2017.
The company has subsequently received huge payments from revenues raised under the guise of paying for excess capacity.
I urge the media to show interest in who the beneficial owners of STRATCON ENERGY are.
A thorough search for the beneficial owners of STRATCON ENERGY will show that, whilst our finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, was busily quoting from the bible about how Jesus Christ miraculously fed 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes; he was clandestinely feeding the ‘Special 5’ with millions of the Tax payer’s money.
Ladies and Gentle even though the current state of the Energy Sector looks gloomy, let me assure you there is hope with an NDC Government, come January 2021; what the next ndc government will do The NDC has been at the forefront with innovative policies and legislation to improve power sector governance and service delivery.
We will work to improve efficiency in the management of the country’s power facilities and reduce losses.
We will increase generation further to meet all suppressed demand, including giving incentives to investors in heavy industries such as aluminium, iron and steel smelting.
In line with our policy commitment to create a resilient and non-congested transmission system, the NDC government embarked on projects aimed at improving the country's transmission system and export of Power, we shall continue with this policy.
We will continue to develop more sustainable power sources and encourage energy conservation.
We will ensure massive investments in the distribution sector to enhance capacity and also improve the technical and operational efficiency of the utilities.
To achieve this, we will work to reduce aggregate technical, commercial and collection losses, ensure a transparent and fair billing system, roll out smart metering systems across the country, eliminate bottlenecks associated with acquisition of meters and electricity connectivity for prospective customers, further promote local participation in tendering and procurement processes and pursue policy and corporate reforms to revamp our energy sector SOEs.
We increased national electrification access from 54% in January 2009 to 84% by the end of 2016 and brought access level in the Northern Regional to 65%.
We shall embark upon an energy for all programme.
We shall ensure the energy sector levies are utilised for their intended purposes by providing street lighting, Premix Fuel and expand rural electrification.
We shall ensure transparency and ultimately increase Ghana's stake in the oil and Gas sector.
We shall ensure that domestic supply of LPG is met by Ghana Gas.
We shall also ensure value addition by resourcing, retooling and repositioning TOR to refine the crude oil for domestic consumption.
Additionally, we shall support BOST to hold enough strategic stocks, meet their mandate, excavate the deep seated corruption which has bedevilled the company under President Akufo-Addo and punish the perpetrators of the BOST/Movenpiina scandal among others .
Finally, we shall remain accountable and transparent in our dealings.
Conclusion In conclusion, it is an obvious and undeniable fact that the NDC has a far superior record to the NPP as far as the Energy and other related sectors are concerned.
Ghana’s Energy sector is certainly not safe under Akufo-Addo’s Presidency.
Our natural resources are being plundered to the benefit of few greedy ones.
Someone recently told me the next NDC government will have a tough time managing the economy on assumption of office in 2021 because the Akuffo-Addo led Government has already caused so much damage.
My response was simple if these guys can cause so much damage within their first term in office, then four (4) more years for Nana will mean sentencing all Ghanaians to perpetual hardships because of the corruption and greed of this family and friends government.
We owe it to Ghanaians and to future generations; it is a national duty and a social responsibility to rescue Ghana from this wreckage and corruption that is sinking our dear country, Ghana.
The rescue time is now!
June 17, 2020 Hello and good evening.
Thank you for making the time to join me, once again, on #JohnMahamaLIVE.
Tonight, I want us to discuss the way forward for our country, Ghana, as the number of people contracting the novel Coronavirus and the death toll increases.
The impact of the pandemic on businesses, on our lives, on households and the effects on the economy, are all issues that we must discuss.
At this point, I want to extend my condolences to all the bereaved and grieving families of those we have lost to COVID-19.
It is difficult when the life of a loved one is cut short so prematurely.
I know words are not enough to console you at this time, but rest assured that we share in your grief.
Our hearts particularly go out to the likes of 48 year-old Dr.
Harry Owusu Boateng of the SDA hospital at Kwadaso who died in the line of duty at the prime of his life.
A mourning nation expresses its gratitude to you for the ultimate sacrifice you have made in serving your country and fellow citizens.
We must also continue to pray for the speedy recovery of our compatriots currently undergoing treatment as a result of COVID.
It is sad to note the increasing number of our frontline health workers who have tested positive for the virus.
Today, disturbing reports are being received of health workers getting exposed, testing positive and forced into self-isolation, quarantine or treatment.
This is happening at a time that isolation and treatment centres are reportedly full, and both health workers and other positive cases are compelled to self-isolate.
This is a sad reflection of the Akufo-Addo administration’s chaotic handling of the COVID situation.
Lack of adequate protective gear several months after our COVID emergency was declared is a sad testament of the bungling inefficiency that has characterized the handling of this pandemic from the start.
A refusal to be guided by science and a parochial desire for political interest has led government to ignore advise from well-meaning Ghanaians, including the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).
Any perceived disagreement with government, in its decision-making or published information, is met with savage attacks by government and ruling party officials.
This was the experience of renowned pathologist Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, who questioned the credibility of COVID statistics released by government.
It is trite knowledge that you cannot do propaganda with a pandemic.
Lining up Council of State members, Chiefs, student groups to the seat of government to congratulate the President on his handling of the Pandemic will not let the virus go away.
The infections and deaths will ultimately expose you.
I have been briefed by the NDC COVID Technical Team about how isolation and treatment centres are filling up resulting in several patients being asked to go home and self-isolate.
Some health professionals are also being redeployed from their original units to beef up management of COVID cases.
This is having an adverse effect on the provision of reliable and quality health care service to other patients coming in with other conditions.
Admittedly, there is a lot of pressure on health workers, and also on our health facilities.
We are indeed not in normal times.
Do you have a question to ask, do you have any experiences you want to share, an advice or an idea, let’s get interactive- use the hashtag #JohnMahamaLIVE and post or tweet your question, comment, idea or experience on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter.
You can also email me: office@johnmahama.org.
I appreciate, most sincerely, the times many of you, my cherished friends on social media, my brothers and sisters from across the country and the world, have spent, not only interacting but also sharing your ideas with me on a wide range of issues including COVID-19, which is threatening our way of life.
Thanks to my latest initiative, ‘LET’S TALK’, I have also been interacting via Zoom with many of you who sent in messages with a topic you want to talk to me about.
And I have enjoyed all the call-ups so far.
Deborah Laryea from Ablekuma West contacted me on behalf of her excited mother; Bright Bell- a health worker; Yaw Loku is a private school teacher, Edem with whom I had an interesting conversation about entrepreneurial finance and a dozen others.
The interactions were heartwarming and informative.
For example, Yaw Lokou- like many of his colleagues teaching in private schools across the country is not receiving his salaries in full- and he decried the inequity associated with the distribution of the COVID-19 food relief in the Kasoa area during the lockdown.
In my zoom conversation with Yaw, he said he did not benefit from the food relief because it was distributed on a partisan basis.
It is this failure and inability to competently distribute food relief, and the attendant feedback from especially the vulnerable in society that led to the premature and inevitable lifting of the lockdown, earlier than it should.
Of course, many people were eager to resume normal life because of the economic impact of the lockdown and the government’s failure to proportionally reach out to households in the affected locations.
I wish to emphasise that the present situation we are grappling with could have been avoided if suggestions offered by well-meaning Ghanaians including myself, were heeded by government.
The Akufo-Addo administration refused to listen to calls to include Assembly Members and traditional leaders in public education about the disease, distribution of COVID relief items, contact tracing and surveillance.
The result has been the disorderly and chaotic distribution of food that caused the lifting of the lockdown.
Public education has been abysmal and understanding of the transmission of the virus is low.
Messages in our major local languages are very few or non-existent in many cases.
This is reflected in the total absence of physical distancing in our public places such as markets and transport terminals.
Involvement of traditional rulers in guiding surveillance and contact tracing would have delivered positive outcomes because they know their communities well.
The consequence of government’s decisions, borne out of short-term political considerations instead of the science of the pandemic, has been the rising number of COVID-19 infections and the resultants deaths we are seeing today.
From two confirmed cases on March 12, that rose to 8,548 on 1st June, today, 17 days later, we have 12,590 confirmed cases and 66 deaths.