The Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company's (BOST) management is at the center of a developing scandal concerning the rehabilitation of a multimillion cedi tugboat contract at its Akosombo office. The contract was awarded and paid for, but since October 2022, there has been no visible work completed. According to sources who spoke to this portal, the project's details have been sent to the Transition team for review because, although it was originally intended to be a five-month contract, it has now lasted almost two years, costing close to 6 million cedis, and there is no end in sight. According to this portal, the tugboat is still unsuited to conduct a single voyage despite the enormous expense, even after pressure from BOST Management, led by
According to them, they can use the boat's ability to move even when it is still as justification for the maintenance they have paid for it. According to them, forcing the boat to move provides a defense against any inquiry and charges of financial damage to the state brought on by the next NDC administration. According to a copy of a letter signed by Managing Director Edwin Provencal and viewed by this portal regarding the aforementioned procurement dated October 14, 2022, and addressed to Bernardson A. Akolgo, Managing Director of M&B Limited, BOST was pleased to award the latter the contract for the installation of pumps at Akosombo, repair of a tugboat, and modification of discharge pipelines at a total cost of $5,500,000.
According to the letter, "You are hereby advised to proceed with the signing of the contract and the fulfillment of Performance Security of Five Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand, Three Hundred and Forty-Five Ghana Cedis, Fifty-Six Pesewas (GHS 565,345.56), which is 10% of the stated amount, within four (4) days of receiving this letter."You would have to supply a Performance Bond (later) in the form of an insurance bond (30%) or bank guarantee (10%) of the contract amount for the duration of the agreement.According to insiders, BOST management is allegedly providing incentives to VLTC managers to simulate crew preparation for a journey by assigning crew members to the tugs in order to conceal the obvious inefficiencies.Critics claim this last-ditch effort is an effort to hide the scandal.
The project's development is depicted in a negative light by eyewitnesses. No significant work has been done beyond painting the ship, changing the oil, and installing non-functional navigational equipment. It's concerning that the so-called contractor seems to be a phantom, but there is growing evidence that links them to BOST's current senior management. Staff at the Akosombo site claim that no one has ever seen or identified the contractor, leading to claims that the project is being managed internally for unknown reasons. The suspected involvement of a BOST general manager, who is said to have personally provided the installed equipment and logistics for the oil changes, further exacerbates the scandal and raises concerns around procurement accountability and transparency.
Ghanaians are calling for an impartial investigation into BOST's handling of this disastrous project and demanding accountability after millions of public cedis were spent with no noticeable effects.