The shocking recall and appointment of Joseph Abuabu Dadzie, as the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to replace Opoku-Ahweeneh Danquah, is simply a return of Dr Kofi Koduah Sarpong, who was sent home when his five-year tenure expired in 2022.
Firstly, several officials, who were disgruntled by the Opoku-Ahweeneh Danquah administration, are now returning to the Corporation to take up significant roles after their previous resignations.
Secondly, the Joe Dadzie administration is granting post-retirement contracts to some retired officers considered as his favourites, meaning others are going to be shoved aside with no work, although they will be drawing salaries and benefits.
Thirdly, current officers are being replaced by relatives of Akufo-Addo ministers, including those under the supervision of the Minister of Energy.
For instance, Florence Ossew, retired voluntarily from the corporation in the last quarter of last year and went to work at the private office of Dr KK Sarpong.
She retired as a Principal Officer, but on assumption as the new CEO, Joe Dadzie, has brought her back to work in his secretariat.
Florence was re-engaged on May 2, 2024, the very day Joe Dadzie assumed office and was immediately promoted to the position of Deputy Manager.
The status of deputy managers, comes with the allocation of pickups, but interestingly declined a pickup and was immediately allocated a Mitsubishi Pajero, one of the vehicles belonging to the corporation’s Foundation.
Additional information available to The Herald is that one Cherrison Shooter, the General Manager, who retired in April 2024, has been brought back to the GNPC and given a year’s retirement contract.
Joe Dadzie himself had resigned from GNPC, very disgruntled by the Opoku-Ahweeneh Danquah tenure. He was brought back by the Akufo-Addo government, and many reports are that he is witch-hunting suspected enemies of the KK Sarpong administration.
But the most intriguing of all the happenings at GNPC, is the disclosure that Emmanuel Owusu Afriyie Prempeh, a younger brother of the Minister for Energy, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, who was employed together with the stabbed son of Mavis Hawa Koomson, Ato Entsir Koomson by GNPC in the latter part of 2018 under Dr Sarpong as Senior officer, is being given a juicy appointment.
Insiders report that Dr Sarpong quickly promoted Mr Prempeh to Principal, then deputy manager, and days before Dr Sarpong’s departure as CEO, Mr Prempeh, was interviewed and recommended as a manager. Based on this directive, Prempeh was promoted to manager. Premperh used to work with Dr Sarpong at the failed Royal Bank.
In a span of five years, the Minister’s brother had risen from senior officer to Principal Officer to Deputy Manager Manager to the surprise of many.
But just in the first month of Joe Dadzie’s tenure as CEO of GNPC, Prempeh has now been transferred to head the Corporate Finance department.
Prempeh was part of the KK Sarpong boys who he brought in from the failed Royal Bank. KK Sarpong’s boys, were all part of the team that collapsed the Royal Bank.
What is the motive behind this transfer of Napo’s brother who was brought in by KK Sarpong and quickly elevated from Senior officer to Manager?
It is six months to the 2024 elections with many changes expected, and the haste with which Joe Dadzi is making appointments and promotions including that of Owusu Afriyie Prempeh to replace Francis Arthur who was the manager of corporate finance and has over 22 years of experience at the finance department beats much imagination.
Francis Arthur, has been transferred to the institutional reporting department created by KK Sarpong when he headed GNPC with Owusu Prempeh as part of that department.
Interestingly, whilst transfers, promotions and wanton victimizations are ongoing, the Board chaired by Freddie Blay, This Paper, has learnt these days holds board meetings at the luxurious Safari Valley Eco Park Resort near Adukrom- Akuapem in the Okere District in the Eastern Region at exorbitant prices to the Corporation.
The same board at KK Sarpong had held meetings in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates at a price yet to be determined, despite its fully-fledged Board offices at both the Airport Residential Area in Accra and Petroleum House in Tema.
Again, available discussions are ongoing towards the purchase of the controversial Aker wells.
