The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has urged the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and the Sentuo Oil Refinery to disclose the details of their relationship amid allegations of TOR’s sale to Sentuo Oil Refinery.
In a statement issued on Monday, April 8, ASEPA’s Executive Director, Mensah Thompson, revealed that ASEPA had received a whistleblower alert from a TOR insider about a meeting between TOR management and the Chinese-owned Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd. The meeting was allegedly to discuss the sale of the national refinery to Sentuo.
“The meeting we were informed lasted from 10 am to 1 pm at the premises of the TOR after which there was a large celebration at Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd to celebrate the outcome of the supposed meeting. The said meeting till now has not been reported in the media neither has Tema Oil Refinery issued an official statement on the matter,” it added.
In response, ASEPA has announced its intention to invoke the Right to Information Law to compel both TOR and Sentuo Oil Refinery to disclose the nature of their relationship. ASEPA seeks clarification on whether TOR has been sold to Sentuo, if Sentuo has assumed management of TOR, or if certain aspects of TOR’s operations have been transferred to Sentuo.
“The RTI request would also demand from the management of TOR to disclose to the general public the content of the April 4th meeting between both parties and what the ramifications are for the future of TOR,” it added.
ASEPA emphasized that as a public institution, TOR has a duty of care to the citizens. Therefore, it must ensure the highest level of transparency required under Ghanaian law in all its operations and management.
