Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa has allegedly intercepted memos revealing an increment in allowances by the management of the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC).
In a post he made on his official X page, the member of Parliament expressed displeasure over how officials of the Akufo Addo-led government are not practicing the financial haircut being meted out to Ghanaians as they allegedly increased their allowances.
“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. ” He wrote.
In a memo dated 31st August 2022, the Chief Executive Officer, Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah directed the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Finance and Administration) to implement the new per diem rate for foreign and local travel and hotel rate for corporate affairs for the Board Chairman, Chief Executive, Board Members, and external Board Committee Members as agreed at a Board of Directors meeting.
He continued to criticize how the Former National Chairman of the NPP and currently the Board Chairman of GNPC, Freddie Blay, and the management have increased their allowances up to the tune of 150% despite the economic hardship and in contravention of general haircut promise to parliament.
“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 government’s assurances to Parliament of a general pay cut.”
Information on the memo states the increment of per diem rate for foreign and local travel from 500 to 850 for the Board Chairman and 500 to 700 for the Chief Executive, Board Members, and External Board Committee members without a definite currency for this increments however in expediency, Ablakwa states the figures are in ” Dollars, Euros or Pounds depending on where they travel to”
In the chronicles of his expose, he revealed other memos purporting to increase the salary of the Chief Executive Officer Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah, whom he states is the nephew of the president.
“It is even more depressing to read other memos requesting that the salary of the CEO be doubled. Angry insiders say the CEO, Mr. Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah, President Akufo-Addo’s nephew, always gets what he wants.” He stated
He teased the public of the proposal of a new private members bill to subject the determination of salaries and allowances of Board and CEO’s of State Owned Enterprises to parliamentary approval to curb that discretionary power.
“I believe it is time to regulate the incestuous discretion of boards and CEOs of State-Owned Enterprises to determine their salaries and allowances without parliamentary approval — particularly when most SOEs are being mismanaged and making huge losses. “
“I shall in the coming days be proposing new private member’s legislation to end this detrimental practice. ” He noted
Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa is a known government official who parades his investigative works in the corruption-related activities of the stalled National Cathedral and other corruption cases.
Story by Richmond Ampofo Fordjour
