Ghana Gas CEO, PRO Dared

The controversial District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle has dared the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited, as well as its head of Corporate Affairs, to substantiate a claim that he was given a whopping GH₵8million by the CEO.

Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh, aside from vehemently denying the allegation, wants both Dr. Ben Asante and Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, to provide credible evidence to buttress the claim by the head of Corporate Affairs or retract it completely.

It is, however, not clear the purpose for which such a huge sum was allegedly doled out to an individual in the face of a huge infrastructure deficit around the Nzema enclave, coupled with youth agitation over the unemployment situation.

But the DCE insists he is unsure if the embattled CEO of Ghana Gas, who has recently come under the radar of some youth in the Ellembelle area, calling for his removal, can even defend the wild allegation by the company’s spokesperson.

In a statement issued on Sunday, November 7, the DCE warned he would be forced to drag his accusers to court if they fail to do the needful.

He also wants media houses that took interest in the defamatory utterances of Mr. Owusu Bempah and published the claims to also follow suit and retract and render an unqualified apology to him.

“I wonder if the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Gas, himself, would dare defend such an outrageous claim by his Senior Manager that he doles out such huge sums of the taxpayer’s money to private individuals.”

He adds, “Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah is consequently advised to honorably retract his false statements within 48 hours or prove its truthfulness in a court of Law.”

The media houses that published same defamatory statements are as well to take notice that the claims are DIRTY LIES and must be subsequently guided and do the needful.”

The notice by the DCE became necessary, after Mr. Owusu Bempah allegedly claimed on Nzema FM in the Western Region, that the DCE has benefitted so much from the Ghana Gas CEO, mentioning in particular the GH₵8 million and many others.

He is said to have listed some of these benefits as educational sponsorships, cash and monetary support for the DCE’s campaign as New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, for the Ellembelle constituency in the 2020 election, which he lost.

“If Kwasi Bonzoh can testify we have paid over GHc8million cedis to him. Kwasi Bonzoh and I am daring anybody with facts.

I, Owusu Bempah, I personally led Kwasi Bonzoh to Dr. Asante and he signed an amount of GHc8 million. I, Owusu Bempah, I don’t tell lies. I would not tell a lie for anything. Kwasi Bonzoh is my brother. We were both trained by Freddie Blay during the opposition days and I am telling you this fact.”

Even though Mr. Owusu Bempah failed to disclose what the said money was for, Mr. Bonzoh has swiftly reacted, saying that “The said allegations are palpably false, absurd and made with malice to lower my hard-earned reputation before right thinking members of the society.

“ I state emphatically that I, Kwasi Bonzoh, have never received the said amount of GHC8 Million from Ghana Gas neither from its CEO Dr. Ben Asante nor any other official of the company either in my private capacity or in my capacity as District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Ellembelle District Assembly.”

The DCE went on to explain the circumstances under which Ghana Gas, which is situated at Atuabo in the Ellembelle constituency, pays taxes to the Assembly.

He said moneys paid to the Assembly, like any other company in the area, are statutory requirements, which include Business Operation Permits.

Mr. Bonzoh said records show the company has since 2017 paid some amount in installments using cheques.

He recalled that “Ghana Gas is one of several companies operating within the Ellembelle District that are obliged by Law, to honour their statutory obligations towards the District Assembly including payment of Property Rates and Business Operating Permits.

“There are duly audited records available to prove that Ghana Gas has within the past six (6) years thus from 2017 to date, paid a total amount of Four Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH₵ 4,450,000) to the Ellembelle District Assembly in fulfillment of its statutory tax obligations.

“The above stated amount was paid in several installments via cheques issued to the Ellembelle District Assembly and NOT to KWASI BONZOH, and accordingly paid into the District Assembly’s account.”

Read Below The Unedited Statement:

GHANA GAS HAS NEVER PAID ME GHC8M – ELLEMBELLE DCE – KWASI BONZOH

Following recent allegations in the media made by Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah, Head of Corporate Communications at Ghana National Gas Company Limited to the effect that I have received Eight Million Ghana Cedis (GH₵8,000,000) from the Company (Ghana Gas), I vehemently condemn same and wish to set the records straight, that:

1. The said allegations are palpably false, absurd and made with malice to lower my hard-earned reputation before right thinking members of the society.
2. I state emphatically that I, Kwasi Bonzoh, has never received the said amount of GHC8 Million from Ghana Gas neither from its CEO Dr. Ben Asante nor any other official of the company either in my private capacity or in my capacity as District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Ellembelle District Assembly.
3. Ghana Gas is one of several companies operating within the Ellembelle District that are obliged by Law, to honour their statutory obligations towards the District Assembly including payment of Property Rates and Business Operating Permits.
4. There are duly audited records available to prove that Ghana Gas has within the past six (6) years thus from 2017 to date, paid a total amount of Four Million, Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH₵ 4,450,000) to the Ellembelle District Assembly in fulfillment of its statutory tax obligations.
5. The above stated amount was paid in several installments via cheques issued to the Ellembelle District Assembly and NOT to KWASI BONZOH, and accordingly paid into the District Assembly’s account.
6. The District Assembly is mandated by law to generate revenue from ratable properties and businesses within the district for developmental activities. Therefore, as DCE, together with my able officers, we have a duty to ensure that businesses operating within the district are compliant with their tax obligations so that their operations would bring some significant benefits directly to the indigenes.
7. I wish to further put on record that this is not the first of such attacks on my person coming from an official of Ghana Gas. Mr. Owusu Bempah’s recent attack comes on the back of previous unsuccessful ‘smear campaigns’ led by certain officers of Ghana Gas including Mr. Stephen Donkor, Senior Manager, Community Relations, and his cohorts who have elected to use their official positions in the Company to malign me, in pursuit of their own parochial political interest in Ellembelle. In fact they have levelled all manner of spurious allegations against me including accusing me of selling for personal gains protocol employment slots given to me by Ghana Gas Company knowing very well that I have never been offered any such protocol slots.
8. I wonder if the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Gas himself, would dare defend such an outrageous claim by his Senior Manager that he doles out such huge sums of the taxpayer’s money to private individuals.
9. Again, I find it curious that Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah, a Senior public official and senior party communications officer would meddle in NPP internal politics at Ellembelle, particularly in a divisive manner to the extent of referring to some party members as “Kwasi Bonzoh supporters” when indeed there is only ONE NPP in Ellembelle as the party is not fragmented into individual supporters’ group or whatsoever.
10. Such divisive comments especially coming from the Ghana Gas P.R.O and Deputy Communications Director at the National level of the party is unfortunate, and most unwelcome. I therefore entreat the National Communications Director of the NPP to school his deputy to desist from making such conflict-potent statements which are made in bad faith hence non-conciliatory and does not augur well for party unity.
11. Mr. Ernest Owusu Bempah is consequently advised to honorably retract his false statements within 48 hours or prove its truthfulness in a court of Law.
12. The media houses that published same defamatory statements are as well to take notice that the claims are DIRTY LIES and must be subsequently guided and do the needful.

Signed

HON. KWASI BONZOH

ELLEMBELLE DCE

 Source: Anchorghana