Deputy Minority Leader Dominic Nitiwul and some Minority members forced the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ebo Barton Odro, to suspend the approval of programme of activities for the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) for 2015 which contained the Corporation’s budget.

This was because of what they described as some outrageous expenditure quoted in the programme of activities.

The GNPC had stated in its 2015 programme of activities that it would construct a new head office in Accra at the cost of $16 million, which translates into about GH¢60 million, and also make general or administrative expenses to the tune of $16 million.

A whopping amount of $26.6 million, which translates into GH¢98.4 million, had been budgeted for research and technology centre while other works on landed property would cost the nation $3.6 million or GH¢13.3 million. But the Minority, led by Mr Dominic Nitiwul, said the figures quoted were outrageous and needed to be probed further by the Committee of Mines and Energy.

The deputy minority leader did not understand why the programme of activities for the GNPC, which should have been approved by Parliament in January or February this year, had been brought to the House so late that it’s almost at the end of the year, by which time the Corporation had already made some expenses.

“It is wrong for Parliament to consider the programme of activities for GNPC at this time because it will mean we are just rubber-stamping this programme of activities without proper scrutiny,” he charged, adding that it would be better to ask officials of GNPC to give specific details about the new head office which will cost the nation about GH¢60 million and the general expenses which will also cost the nation GH¢60 million.

He noted that Parliament would not be able to know whether the GNPC had already started the construction of its new head office or not.

Mr Nitiwul said he could not fathom why such a huge figure of GH¢98.4 million could be budgeted on just a research and technology centre.

“Mr Speaker, we must be careful about these figures because we don’t have any specific details and as a Parliament, we must exercise our oversight responsibility very well,” he entreated.

The Deputy Majority Leader, Alfred Agbesi, also supported the argument of the Minority saying the cost of constructing a new head office for the GNPC is a bit on the high side and that the figure ought to be looked at again.

The First Deputy Speaker, Ebo Barton Odro, who was presiding, suspended the approval and asked leaders of both sides of the House to consult and if possible ask the Mines and Energy Committee to get more details of the expenditure.