The immediate past Chief Executive Officer (ECEO) of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited (GCMCL) Ms Frances Ewurabena Essiam, has explained the reason for her resignation.
Interestingly, her resignation letter dated February 23, 2023, coincided with the one also dated the same date from the Office of the President. She said she was fired through a WhatSApp message sent her by the Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh.
The ex-NDC National Women Organiser, who has a history of running into a head on collision with her superiors, said she took the decision because of interference in her work by the Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, whom she described as “bully” and “someone who does not respect other people”.
“I have resigned as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company. I thank President Akufo- Addo for appointing me. I believe in Ghana we should be bold to resign and move away, it’s our democratic right,” she added and also took on the President’s Executive Secretary, Nana Asante Bediatuo, saying she is going to hold a Press Conference to reveal a lot about him.
” . . With all our hard work and efforts at the company, there are some who don’t want us to be successful . . . so I’ve decided to resign. I’m a woman of substance, a woman of peace and highly knowledgeable . . . I have resigned so Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Minister for Energy and Manhyia South MP, can now have his way; he can do whatever he wants with Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company; he can grind and chew it . . . I have not heard from the President, but I am resigning in principle . . . he (Mathew Opoku Prempeh) should bring it on, I am ready for him,” she said.
Madam Essiam, who fell short of stating exactly what the Energy Minister had done to necessitate her unceremonious resignation, promised to address a press conference in the coming days to lay bare the juicy details, insisting the loyalty which is unrewarded is not worthy of service.
According to her, she decided to enter into an agreement with Ghana Gas – a decision she claimed the Energy Minister kicked against.
She alleged that Dr Opoku-Prempeh, told her that another agency has been asked to take over the management of GCMCL.
This development, a peeved Madam Essiam maintained, is an affront to the hard work she has put into making the company a viable one.
“I am a very principled person, so I have resigned for him to take over and do what he wants to do,” she stated in an interview on Friday.
Ms. Essiam, alleged that the move to take over the management of the company, is for the selfish interest of some people at the presidency and the Energy Minister.
“I have worked for the company to be viable, so some people now, for their selfish parochial interests want to take over and chop,” she stated.
However, Communications Specialist at the Energy Ministry, Kofi Abrefa, dismissed the claims made by Ms Essiam that Dr Opoku-Prempeh, wanted her out of the position.
Also speaking on Ekosii Sen, he stated that Ms Essiam took offence when the Minister performed his oversight role upon being informed by the former CEO about an agreement she intended to have with Ghana Gas Company.
Mr Abrefa, said Dr Opoku-Prempeh only wanted the best for the state and suggested an in-depth investigation before any decision is reached.
“At no point in time did he (the Minister) usurped her power,” Mr Abrefa added.
Ms Essiam was appointed by President Nana Akufo-Addo in 2017. She occupied the position till she resigned on February 23, 2023.
Madam Frances Essiam, had resigned from her post, apparently, angrily. She has put in an official letter to that effect, addressed to President Akufo-Addo, copied to the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Minister of Energy and Board of GCMCL on February 23, 2023.
The presidency has already announced one Madam Genevieve Sackey as her replacement.
“In all humility and respect, I wish to inform you of my resignation as the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited (GCMCL),” portions of Madam Essiam’s letter read.
She expressed her appreciation for the confidence reposed in her to head the company and wished the government well in its endeavours.
“I thank you for having the confidence in me to appoint and reappoint me from 2017. I wish the government well in all its future endeavours,” she said.
In an interview with several media platforms, Madam Essiam said, she resigned on her own volition.
Although, she did not deny that certain things might have informed her decision to resign, she said “I have resigned honourably from GCMCL as Chief Executive Officer. When the president appointed me, he did not give a reason, so I also would not like to come up with any reason with the resignation at this stage.”
However, she indicated that Energy Minster, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, was currently running the activities of Ghana Cylinder.
“All I can say is Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister for Energy… that he is actually in charge of Ghana cylinder as we talk. I resigned on my own volition, nobody can force me,” she stressed.
Madam Essiam was appointed by President Akufo-Addo in May 2017 and has since headed the company until her present resignation. In 2018, she was suspended as CEO, following a disagreement with members of the board of the company.
Subsequently, the president retained her to continue as CEO of the company after the board was dissolved.
In 2012, she tried, but failed to annex the Adentan Constituency parliamentary seat as she lost the elections to the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore.
In 2016, she was defeated in the NPP primaries by Yaw Buaben Asamoa. Before joining the NPP. Ms Essiam was the National Women’s Organiser for the NDC.
Later on Friday afternoon on Asempa FM’s Ekosi Sen programme, a furious Frances Essiam, alluded to certain happenings at her post, including her doubts about the letter from the presidency relieving her of her post, and warned that her resignation could be likened to ‘coming events casting their shadow’.
She accused the Energy Minister of being behind her decision to resign from the company, adding the Energy Minister, has made it difficult for her to run the company.
She also alleged that the Minister is frustrating current acquisition processes between Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited and another state-owned company and insisted that she honourably resigned from the company to allow the Energy Minister have his way.
“I resigned honourably because there is a difficulty with an acquisition going on between Ghana Cylinder and another state agency and the Minister for Energy is aware, but went into a banter with me over the acquisition by one company as against the other and I was surprised because if you are the Minister and have all the communication and failed to call the companies to the table, then I will resign so that the Minister can go and do whatever he wants to do over there.”
She also alleged that, because the Energy Minister, was determined to frustrate the acquisition process, engagements have strangely been put on hold.
“I was also hearing that the arrangement has being made was put on hold, and so I said if that is what is going on, then I have to resign.”
She also alleged that Dr Opoku Prempeh, has consistently shown his dislike for her and blocked the president’s decision to appoint her CEO of GETFund.
“The president said I tried to put you at GETFund but the [then] Minister of Education said he was incompatible with me, and so he can’t work with me.”
Frances Essiam’ position as the company’s MD on Thursday, February 23, 2023, and was immediately replaced by Madam Genevieve Sackey.
She said she was going to support Vice-president, Alhaji Bawumia’s NPP flagberer bid, but warned that over her dead body will the Energy Minister become his running mate.
Frances, had moved from the NDC to form the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) with Dr Obed Asamoah, Bede Anwataazumo Ziedeng when they lost their position as Chairman, General Secretary and Women’s Organiser at the Koforidua congress in 2005.
She was most vitriolic at the time by taking on late President JJ Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings for causing their defeat. She subsequently joined the NPP, while the others returned to the NDC with Bede becoming an aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra Constituency.
