General News of Sunday, 26 May 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Your claims are spurious and unfounded - Ministry of Energy tells Kevin Taylor

Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

The Ministry of Energy has dismissed claims made by social commentator Kevin Taylor, who accused Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh and the 2024 NPP campaign of benefiting from a $150 million contract involving Tullow, Kosmos, GNPC, and Petro SA.

According to the Ministry, the allegations in a video circulated on social media are spurious and unfounded adding that Taylor failed to provide details about the contract, choosing instead to spread lies to tarnish reputations.

In a statement issued on behalf of the Ministry of Energy and signed by the Press Aide to the Minister, it clarified the Ministry's role in contracting within Ghana's upstream petroleum industry.

"The Ministry of Energy is not responsible for signing and approving contracts in Ghana's upstream petroleum space. Therefore, matters involving Tullow and its Partners mentioned do not require Ministry approval. A little research could have avoided this embarrassment," the statement read.

The statement also addressed Taylor's insinuation that Dr. Prempeh personally stands to gain and fund the NPP 2024 campaign through the contract, describing the claim as unfounded.

The Ministry explained that contracting in the upstream sector undergoes a rigorous technical and commercial assessment by the Operator before recommendations are made to the Partners for their independent assessments and evaluations.

It emphasized that this process is not subject to government control.

In cases where the government seeks to increase Ghanaian participation in the upstream industry, “it does not influence the assessment and evaluation conducted by the Operator and its Partners in the upstream contracting space,” the ministry said.

The statement suggested that the Minister of Energy, Dr. Opoku Prempeh, could initiate legal proceedings if Kevin Taylor continues to impugn criminality on the sector minister.

The Ministry also urged the public to disregard the false claims and treat them with utmost contempt.

See the full statement below



MA/EK