The Campaign Coordinator of the Integrated Social Development Center (ISODEC), Dr. Steve Manteaw has cautioned government against indulging the paramount chiefs in the Nzema area of the Western Region, who are demanding the appointment of Dr. Ben Asante as the caretaker CEO of the Ghana National Gas Company Limited is revoked.
The chiefs at a press conference over the weekend demanded President Nana Akufo-Addo instead appoint an indigene of Nzema land, Professor Sagary Nokoe, as the Ghana Gas CEO.
The chiefs also warned that failure on the part of the President to grant them their wish “will in a long way sever the ties that bind us the people of Nzemaland to your party and leadership”.
Speaking to Citi News, Dr. Manteaw said, “I think that it is rather unfortunate that chiefs of Nzema land think and behave in a manner that suggests that the gas resources of this country belong to them.”
He also noted that the immediate-past National Democratic Congress government muddied the waters by bowing to pressure from the chiefs to appoint an indigene as the Petroleum Minister, in the person of Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
“I think the NDC set a very bad precedent when it succumbed to pressure from Nzema chiefs and appointed an indigene of the Nzema land as Minster for Petroleum. It makes the Nzema chiefs think that the gas belongs to them and they have to determine who manages the resources.”
“It is important for the current government not to continue with this bad precedent otherwise you have other ethnic groups who play hosts to other vital national resources demanding that their own is appointed to manage the resource,” Dr. Manteaw cautioned.
Dr Ben K. D Asante, a Renowned Engineer, was on January 30, appointed as the Caretaker CEO of the Ghana Gas
His caretaker position means he will act as the CEO of Ghana Gas until a substantive one is approved. In his acting role, he is also not permitted to take decisions that have policy implications.
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