…Salaries, per diem & travelling allowances ballooned
Reports have emerged about the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), for spending a significant amount of time abroad and purportedly indulging in lavish expenditures, triggering discontent among the corporation’s workers and the public.
According to reports, Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah, is often outside the country, engaging in transactions whose benefits are yet to be realized, while the financial burden on the GNPC raises concerns among stakeholders.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, has confirmed being in possession of some “intercepted memos from GNPC” revealing “that the Freddie Blay-led board and management have increased their allowances by up to 150percent, despite Ghana’s economic crisis and contrary to government’s assurances to Parliament of a general pay-cut”.
Yesterday, the MP revealed how “allowances for a day’s hotel rate have increased from 400 to 1000 Dollars, Euros or Pounds depending on where they travel to. Per diem for the Board Chairman has moved from 500 to 850 and from 500 to 700 for the CEO and other board members — also in Dollars, Euros or Pounds as per the travel destination”.
He added that “it is even more depressing to read other memos requesting that the salary of the CEO is doubled. Angry insiders say the CEO, Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah who is President Akufo-Addo’s nephew, always gets what he wants”.
“This betrayal of the Ghanaian people and gross insensitivity cannot continue”, he posted on Facebook.
But ahead of Ablakwa’s disclosure, GNPC employees, claim that during these overseas trips, the CEO who returned to the country to take up a job at the Corporation upon the victory of President Nana Akufo-Addo, enjoys lavish perks, including daily allowances of US$700 and accommodation expenses of US$1,000 or pounds, depending on the destination zone.
The situation raises questions about transparency, accountability, and the overall governance of GNPC, calling for thorough investigations and actions to restore confidence in the corporation’s operations.
This development has incited anger among senior staff members of GNPC, with some expressing their intent to take to the streets in protest if a controversial decision to substantially increase Mr Danquah’s salary receives board approval.
The proposed salary increment, exceeding 100 per cent and totalling GH¢262,000 per month, excluding various allowances, has fueled fury among aggrieved public sector workers.
If the Board chaired by Freddie Blay, approve it would result in a stunning 120 per cent increase in the CEO’s allowances, accumulating to nearly GH¢600,000 monthly.
Amidst these controversies, concerns over GNPC’s financial health have surfaced, as the corporation reportedly struggles to meet payment obligations to vital infrastructure providers.
The lack of transparency and accountability for the CEO’s expenditures, particularly the elusive receipts for accommodation expenses, has raised additional questions about how the GNPC is being managed by the Akufo-Addo government.
Further complicating the situation, it is alleged that Mr Danquah, purportedly a relative of the President, has requested two brand new Land Cruisers as part of his remuneration package, sparking accusations of nepotism and extravagant spending within the corporation.
Condemning the proposed salary increase, Norbert Gborgbortsi, the convenor of the Aggrieved Public Sector Workers Ghana, expressed dismay and called upon the Public Services Commission and the Fair Wages Commission to vehemently oppose the decision.
The group emphasizes the urgent need to safeguard GNPC from financial turmoil.
As tensions escalate and discontent brews within the ranks, the actions of the GNPC CEOs are increasingly viewed as counterproductive to the corporation’s stability and the welfare of its employees.
With mounting pressure on decision-makers to address these concerns, the fate of GNPC’s financial future hangs in the balance.
The North Tongue MP had written saying: “When a government asks everyone to take financial haircuts due to the effects of their economic mismanagement, we don’t expect its officials to be approving for themselves fat increments in allowances.
“Intercepted memos from GNPC reveal that the Freddie Blay-led board and management have increased their allowances by up to 150% despite Ghana’s economic crisis and contrary to the government’s assurances to Parliament of a general pay cut.
“Allowances for a day’s hotel rate have increased from 400 to 1000 Dollars, Euros or Pounds depending on where they travel to.
“Per diem for the Board Chairman has moved from 500 to 850 and from 500 to 700 for the CEO and other board members — also in Dollars, Euros or Pounds as per the travel destination.
“It is even more depressing to read other memos requesting that the salary of the CEO is doubled. Angry insiders say the CEO, Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah who is President Akufo-Addo’s nephew, always gets what he wants.
“This betrayal of the Ghanaian people and gross insensitivity cannot continue.
“I believe it is time to regulate the incestuous discretion of boards and CEOs of State-Owned Enterprises to determine their own salaries and allowances without parliamentary approval — particularly when most SOEs are being terribly mismanaged and making huge losses.
“I shall in the coming days be proposing new private member’s legislation to end this detrimental practice.
For God and Country.
