Some years back, there were about thirteen oil blocks given out by the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government but you can’t identify how these contracts were awarded” the Minister for Information-Designate Mr. Kojo Opong Nkrumah has revealed and filed by MyNews.
According to him, the blocks were given out haphazardly with no strict measures adding that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government under the watch of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will not share the oil blocks in laced corrupt corruption but rather there will be an ‘open bid’.
“Contracts will be given on merit basis. It’s simple, we are going to consider those (companies) that have money and the technical know-how to submit a document to prove that indeed you can drill the oil to our benefit”.
“After that, the government is going to compare the documents available and publish for the public to see how it is done,” Mr. Kojo Opong Nkrumah said in an interview Kumasi based Angel Fm Tuesday.
He further assured the government is going to choose a company which will make a good offer to benefit Ghana’s interest.
“So far, there are about three more oil blocks ready to be drilled”, he dropped a hint
Mr. Opong Nkrumah revealed that in the past years, 13 blocks awarded to companies for drilling by the NDC government still remain untouched wasting the country’s resources.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo this week charged the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum Commission, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the Licensing Rounds Committee to show transparency and efficiency in their activities under Ghana’s maiden oil and gas licensing round.
At the launch of the Ghana Oil and Gas Licensing Round 2018, which will allocate new petroleum exploration rights, the President noted that the government was walking the talk as promised in its 2016 manifesto, where the New Patriotic Party pledged to improve transparency in the management of Ghana’s oil and gas resources.
“It is thus an honour for me to be able, today, to implement this important commitment by launching this maiden bidding round,” the President declared.
Source: MynewsGH.com