The Western Regional House of Chiefs has commended newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) for the respect he has showed them for paying a courtesy call on them without any invitation.

According to the Vice President of the house, Awulae Angama Tu Agyan this single gesture from Mr. Joseph Dadzie shows his humility and honour for the traditional rulers.

The Chief Executive of the National Oil Company in the company of some of his management members paid a visit to the Western Regional House of Chiefs to among other things, introduce himself to them as the new head of the Corporation. Joseph Dadzie, a former deputy CEO of GNPC replaced Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah on May 2, 2024, following his resignation.

Welcoming the GNPC delegation to the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Awulae Angama Tu Agyan noted that since the retirement of Dr. Kofi Koduah Sarpong in April 2022, no CEO from the Corporation has ever accorded them this respect by coming over to interact with them and seek their counsel when K.K Sarpong left, someone came to replace him.

“We never saw him here but see how quick this new CEO [we are proud to call our son] has seen the need to come to us within the month he was appointed to interact with us,” he said.

Awulae Angama Tu Agyan noted that this move from Mr. Dadzie and his management will surely go a long way to establish a long-lasting relationship between the Western Regional House of Chiefs and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. With your visit and introduction here today, we are hopeful you will soon come back to meet the full house and discuss more pressing issues we have for your consideration Awulae Angama Tu Agyan added.

According to the Chiefs in the Western Region, it is their wish that every year, the GNPC boss will come before the house and share with them some of the challenges the Corporation may be facing and how best they could support the Ghana National Oil Company to overcome them.

“This would also give us the opportunity to share with you some of the challenges we are also facing in the region and explore ways of dealing with them,” Awulae added

The President of the Western Regional of Chiefs, Awulae Amihere Kpaniyiliin his welcome address also emphasised the need for this relationship the GNPC CEO has just re-established with them to deepen. For you to come to the Western Region and see the need to come to us is commendable. It shows the respect you have for us here, he noted.

Responding to the Chiefs, Mr. Joseph Dadzie commended them for their warm reception. He promised he will soon be back to start his “engagement with the entire house as you all know, we are soon going to commission our Operational Headquarters here. When we come, I will use that opportunity to meet the entire house for further discussion.”

Mr. Dadzie told the Chiefs he could not have visited the region without visiting them considering how good they have been to GNPC and the staff here.

According to him, “there was no way I could have visited my staff here led by Dr. Dominic Eduah and decide not to pay homage to you, the owners of the land we operate on.

Mr. Dadzie further added that “it was equally important I came here to introduce myself to you as the new CEO, but I will assure you that I will come back together with my board to meet you all.”

Mr. Joseph Dadzie told the chiefs, he was aware of several of their developmental concerns as catalogued to him earlier by the Regional Minister and assured them that together with the board of the Corporation, ways would be found to address them.

“Even before I came here, at the board level, we had met and discussed many of these issues and we are strategizing on how to fix them. The board has agreed that we complete projects we started in the region that has stalled,” the GNPC boss, assured the chiefs.