: Oil & Gas Mafia Want Sipa Out Of Their Way

President Mills, sometime in 2010 confided in the Daily Post that the gas project that is about to be constructed thanks to the beginning of oil exploration at the Jubilee oil fields is so dear to his heart, a legacy he wants to leave for Ghanaians and for which he hopes to be remembered so he wants to entrust it into the hands of someone he can trust.

The then President Mills' problem was who he could trust with the project; he had reservations about certain personalities managing the project because of their parochial interest. Then on a Sunday morning, again during a chat with this paper, he said he had found the one person he could trust; Dr. Sipa Yankey! Days later, sometime in July last year, Dr. Sipa Yankey, a former Minister for Health who had earlier turned down an offer from the President to become the Western Regional Minister was appointed the Chief Executive of the newly established Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC).

Since then, the company has embarked zealously on the late President Mill's vision of ensuring that the company produces gas for commercial and domestic use of Ghanaians to solve among other things the perennial poweroutage problems and the unavailability of LPG on the market.

Among others, the mandate of the GNGC is to own, manage and develop a national network of gas pipelines and gas treatment and storage facilities; acquire by purchase or otherwise, construct, establish, manage, operate and maintain and otherwise deal with all gas transmission and processing facilities, works, buildings, conveniences and other systems necessary to gather, transport, treat or store gas.

The new company encountered several teething problems from the onset, especially with regards to where the project should be sited in the Western Region. However, these problems were solved with the prospects of gas being produced from early next year a happy prospect for all Ghanaians.

Intelligence this paper picked long ago indicated, however, that those who the late President Mills did not want near the project began to scheme on the quiet to ensure that it eventually lands on their laps. The demise of the late President on July 24 this year therefore spelt trouble for Dr. Sipa Yankey and the gas company.

Yesterday, the pieces began to fall in place with the holding of a press conference by a so-called NGO which made various allegations against the gas company, ultimately questioning the manner of its formation and calling it illegal. Other allegations were also leveled against the company and management. And at the IEA Evening Encounter yesterday, during the Q&A session, a questioner mentioned the issue and repeated the allegations, calling on President Mahama to change the structure of the company.

Further intelligence this paper has picked indicates that a very vicious campaign is about to be waged by the faceless ones behind the plot through proxies especially in the media firstly to get Sipa Yankey out and the Ghana Gas Company placed under GNPC.

The Daily Post will be delving into some of the issues and bringing it to the attention of readers but the plot is one which is certain to make the late President turn in his grave. It also presents President John Mahama with a headache he must solve quickly as Ghana heads for the polls.