The Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Foyo Gbande, engaged in a heated verbal exchange with former Petroleum Commission CEO Egbert Faibille on live radio.

This confrontation stemmed from allegations made by Gbande, who claimed that Faibille was illegally in possession of state vehicles and engaged in illegal staff recruitment, among other things.

During the February 18, 2025 edition of the Ekosiisen programme on Asempa FM, Gbande strongly asserted that two official state vehicles—a salon car and a V8—were parked at Egbert Faibille's official residence. This claim was made in light of directives that mandate all former state appointees return any state property in their possession upon leaving office.

“Call Egbert Faibille of the Petroleum Commission and ask him if the salon car in his house doesn’t belong to the Petroleum Commission. Ask him if he has handed over all the vehicles he has used belonging to the commission back to the place. Ask him if, during the transition period, he didn’t do recruitments and also if he didn’t hold about five board meetings.

“… What would be the emergency at the commission to allow for five board meetings within the period of transition? Call and ask them since I’ve told you. If I goof anywhere, I will come back to apologise and retract. Ask them if what I’m saying is a lie. They have milked and destroyed this country but yet in a month they want us to believe they are clean people,” he told the host.

While Gbande was making his claim, Egbert Faibille, the subject of the allegations, called into the programme and vehemently denied the accusations, describing them as outright lies.

According to him, he handed over the state vehicles to the Transport Officer of the Petroleum Commission shortly after receiving his termination letter in January. The officer confirmed the receipt of the vehicles in good condition.

In his clarification on the matter, Faibille questioned Gbande's motives for making such allegations against his character. He cautioned Gbande to refrain from making false claims that could harm his reputation.

“I am very surprised that a whole party’s deputy general secretary and deputy director of operations at the presidency will without facts come on a radio station to spew out blatant lies. I was given a letter signed by Dr. Callistus Mahama on January 17 revoking my appointment as Petroleum Commission CEO.

“I packed everything when I received the letter and left. The next step I took was to contact the transport officer of the commission, informing her to send two drivers to my residence to collect the assigned vehicles. The drivers arrived at my home to pick up the cars, and the transport officer confirmed their receipt, even signing for them,” he stated.

He continued, “In what capacity did Gbande make such allegations against my person? All the two vehicles assigned to me have been parked at the commission since January 18. This is what they do for NDC supporters to attack people at their residences. Gbande let me caution you, if you are working with the government do your work but don’t go around spewing lies and untruths, please respect yourself.”

Faibille further denied the allegations of making illegal recruitments and holding board meetings during the transition period.

In an effort to diffuse the tense atmosphere, Mustapha Gbande unable to substantiate his earlier allegations attempted to refer to Faibille as his brother. However, the situation escalated, leading to a heated verbal exchange on the show.

Read excerpts of their exchanges below:

Gbande: Egbert is my brother… I won't sit on the radio and lie. If he says he has returned the car, don’t worry.

Faibille: You are not my brother. I cannot be your brother because we don’t come from the same region. Don’t make that mistake.

Gbande: You are a bunch of people who have sat down to mismanage funds and abuse your offices and you don’t want us to confront you.

Faibille: … You are a liar and full of malice. I will not sit down for you to do that. What do you mean?

Gbande: These are malicious individuals hiding behind political colors…

Faibille: You are a criminal individual, Mustapha Gbande. If I am malicious, you are a criminal individual. This gentleman came on and spewed lies about me. I came on to set the records straight and I challenged him to go to the Petroleum Commission and confirm if the vehicles were not parked there…

MAG/EK

Meanwhile, watch as Joseph Yammin warns NDC MPs over apologizing for Ken Ofori-Atta's house raid