Doubts, have emerged over who is behind a number of wreaths laid at the entrance of the office of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) bearing the name of Edwin Alfred Provencal, the Managing Director (MD).
The Herald’s sources at the state facility, told the paper that many workers at the place are having a good laugh over the wreaths, as they suspect that Mr Provencal might have procured the services of some unscrupulous people to lay the wreath, so as to buy him time. Reports are that he had been billed to be sacked since last year.
The workers’ had planned to issue a letter to disassociate themselves from the wreath and to call for a thorough investigation into the matter, including the management style of their MD.
This paper, has sighted portions of a damning audit observation revealing how a contract totaling GHc178, 252.52 was awarded by BOST to a company owned by the same individual through some dubious circumstances.
The documents submitted for the job bearing the name of David Nyadzinor with telephone numbers 0506707568, 0248497158, 020522115 and 0500254527, were found by auditors to be “fictitious”.
In some instances, there were no VAT Certificates, no tax clearance certificate and work certificate had expired in some instances, yet the company got the job.
The contract was awarded to a company called Unity Egninmac Company Limited for the installation of LED bulbs and streetlights, however, auditors in their investigations noted that the company and two other alternative tenderers namely; Precious Engineering and Dass-B Electricals, who participated in the procurement were all owned by the same person contrary to Section 20 (1) of the Public Procurement Amendment Act, 2016 (Act 914).
A query on the matter has since December 29, 2021, been on the desk of Edwin Provencal, to respond, although the auditors had given him up to January 7, 2022 for him to furnish them with the response.
According to the auditors “the contract in our view was awarded to an undeserving contractor and value for money has not been achieved, as the process was orchestrated and not competitive”.
It is a known fact that, there is a general despondency amongst the staff of BOST with many calling for the dismissal of the MD.
Even key elements at the institution with links to the Jubilee House, have reported the MD to the Presidency, detailing acts of his poor human relations, lack of direction, mismanagement etc, and demanding for his removal.
Last year, The Herald reported about a state of uneasiness that had engulfed BOST over the management style of Mr Provencal.
The Herald was informed of a disgruntled workforce at BOST, following certain unilateral decisions of the BOST boss, whom they consider disrespectful and arrogant.
According to insiders, Mr Provencal, who is seen as drawing his powers from the seat of government; the Jubilee House is not a team player and this is affecting operations of the state institution.
They questioned how fuel is lifted and transported to parts of the country, and asked the powers that be to begin to question who and who has been awarded contracts to lift fuel at BOST and send across the country.
It was suggested that the bulk of the oil lifting deals are done by politicians within the governing NPP particularly elements at the Presidency, Ministry of Energy and Parliament. Special mention was made of the Energy Minister, Dr Mathew OpokuPrempeh, who appears unwilling to pay attention to BOST, thus allowing the MD to have his way.
It was further mentioned that he could not be the one investigating his own negligence. Some members of staff wanted to know the members of the committee investigating the fuel adulteration, their mandate and terms of references.
With the embarrassing five million litres adulterated fuel scandal under the Alfred Obeng Boateng in 2017 as background, many insiders are of the view that the current investigation must be a public and independent one to have such issues addressed once and for all.
They also wanted to know the whereabouts of the current adulterated fuel before it ends up like the 5 million litres which was sold to Movenpinaa Energy, ZUPOIL and Macwest at a unit price of Ghc1 per litre on credit without public tender or auction for disposing public property.
Last Monday morning, wreaths were found laid at the entrance of the office bearing the name of Edwin Provencal with inscriptions “RIP Mr. Edwin Provencal”, “Rest well”, “Rest in peace in advance Edwin Provencal”, among others.
Media publications, have sought to blame the workers as those behind the wreaths with Edwin Provencal, saying BOST was becoming an issue due to the varying conflicts of interest that is making it difficult for any appointed officer to salvage the image of the company, adding that BOST had suffered successive scandals.
“Lately, transport owners’ activities on the adulteration and tampering of seals which is curbed by BOST and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has made us targets,” he told Graphiconline.
He stated that the action of the workers was meant to stop the rot in the system to restore the image of the company and allow the government to rake in the needed revenues could be a factor that is allowing leading transporters who seem disgruntled about the Accra-Kumasi pipeline taking away their business.
According to him, an attempt to make things right and put an end to the rot at BOST caused him some disaffection.
He said: “I am not surprised because it could also be because some disgruntled staff are worried about the introduction of rigorous performance management systems to drive performance.”
He said the fully operational marine assets transporting fuel to the northern part of the country might also be taking business away from transport owners, hence the suspected attack.
“I am not surprised because it could also be because some disgruntled staff are worried about the introduction of rigorous performance management systems to drive performance,” he added.
