The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram in the Greater Accra Region, Sm George Nettey has questioned the rationale behind the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC’s) decision to pay GHS 550,000 to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
In an interview on the Anopa Bofo morning show, Sam George told Captain Smart that:
“What I don’t understand at all is EOCO. How can you give EOCO GHS 550,000 as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) when EOCO is a statutory body by law?.”
The MP who is also a member of PAC stated that every year EOCO comes to parliament through its ministry for budgetary allocations from the Consolidated Fund and therefore cannot understand the CSR funding of GHS550,000 from GNPC to EOCO.
“I queried [the GNPC officials] on what exactly they were trying to do for EOCO. Is it a case that you were doing economic empowerment or education for EOCO?”, the MP asked in Twi.
Sam Nartey George added that, beyond the money given to EOCO, the GNPC also gave monies to the Rebecca Foundation, Ghana Journalists Association, organizers of the Damba Festival and the Okyenhene for his 20th Anniversary celebration.
He gave the break down as follows;
The Rebecca Foundation – GHS120,000
Okyenhene’s 20th Anniversary Celebration – GHS1.8 million
Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) – GHS50,000
Ghana Boxing Association – $30,000
Damba Festival Organizers– GHS400,000
Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) – GHS550,000
The Public Accounts Committee member further questioned why GNPC would give out such amounts to various institutions as part of its CSR when they [GNPC] had earlier complained that they are cash strapped.
“Prior to my question [yesterday], GNPC had bemoaned that their cash flow was becoming problematic for them, so how come that you carried GHS550,000 to give to EOCO? How come that you gave out all those monies to those agencies when you yourselves have said that GNPC does not carry out CSR?”, he queried further.
Sam George said that the GNPC board secretary, Matilda Ohene, declared that she couldn’t respond to the questions being asked.
Meanwhile, the General Manager-in-charge of Sustainability at the GNPC, Dr. Kwame Baah Nuarko, has justified the organization’s planned spending of over GH¢2 million on sponsorships and donations to external parties.
“I can assure you [that], this is not the first time. This is not the first batch of sponsorship requests that have been received this year or have been approved,” Dr. Baah Nuarko told Citi News.
Mr. Affail Monney, GJA President told Angel FM that the association shall respond to the GHS50,000 given them in due time.
