Ghana Gas paid GH¢4.450m to Ellembelle District Assembly not to DCE - Owusu Bempah  

The Head of Corporate Communications at Ghana Gas Company Limited, Mr Ernest Owusu Bempah, on Tuesday stated that Ghana Gas has so far paid an amount of GH¢4.450 million as accumulated property rate to the Ellembelle District assembly account and not in the District Chief Executive’s account.

He said there have been media reports that Ghana Gas company limited paid an amount of GH¢8 million into the accounts of Mr Kwasi Bonzoh the District Chief Executive of Ellembelle.

Mr Owusu Bempah who said this at a media engagement in Takoradi to set the records straight concerning the payments of the said monies, pointed out that he never said in anywhere that an amount of 8 million cedis was paid by Ghana Gas into the accounts of the Ellembelle DCE.

He said the information circulating in the media space was not true and stressed that Ghana Gas never paid any money to Mr Bonzoh but rather the accounts of the Ellembelle District assembly.

Mr Owusu Bempah said Ghana Gas has no bone of contention with the Assembly and that there was a cordial relationship with the people of Ellembelle district where the gas plant is situated, adding that, the company would not do anything that would jeopardize the relationship between the two groups.

According to him the company started paying property rate to the assembly since 2017 and that the company has also been up and doing with its corporate social responsibility towards the district.

He mentioned the construction of the Essiam- Nkroful road which is about 90 percent complete as one of the projects being executed under its Corporate Social Responsibility projects and gave the assurance that the company would continue to relate cordially with the Assembly.

For his part, Mr Bonzoh confirmed that the said GH¢4.450 million paid as accumulated property rate had hit the accounts of the Assembly and not his personal account.

He said the accounts of the assembly were regularly audited and that in 2020 it was the Ellembelle District assembly that did not have any infraction when district Assemblies accounts were audited nationwide.

Mr Bonzoh said “we cannot account for GH¢8 million when we did not receive such an amount”, only GH¢4.450 million has been paid and the accounts are dully audited “

The DCE said “now that the records have been set straight nothing should be done to ruin the six-years cordial relationship that existed between Ghana Gas and the Assembly.

He said Ghana Gas was performing its Corporate Social Responsibilities in the district and that the Assembly had benefited from a number projects including the Essiama -Nkroful Road, AstroTurf at Nzema, a number of boreholes and GH¢100 million worth school block which is under construction.

He said Ghana Gas played a key role in the energy sector and commended the company for its role in the energy sector, adding that, in this difficult economic situation, the company was still able to support the energy sector to provide regular electricity.

Mr Bonzoh said the assembly would continue to work with Ghana Gas to ensure the development of the district and gave the assurance that the assembly would duly account for all monies paid by Ghana Gas.

Source: GNA