GNPC to Move Headquarters to Western Region

By Julius Yao Petetsi

Govenment is on course to fulfilling its campaign promise of relocating the operational headquarters of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) to the Western Region, the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, has said.

Relocating the GNPC's headquarters to the Western Region from its current location at Tema is a campaign pledge by the then opposition New Patriotic Party in the run-up to the 2016 general election.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, then opposition leader, told the Western Regional House of Chiefs at the time that the move will turn the Western Region into an oil production area for West Africa.

During a working visit of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to the region in February this year, the Omanhene of the Essikado Traditional Area reminded the government of its electioneering campaign saying should it be fulfilled, thousands of jobs would be created and that the campaign promise cannot wait any longer.

Speaking with journalists in Parliament in Accra yesterday, Mr Agyarko said the state was on course to fulfil that campaign promise.

"We have made a request and has gotten an approval to spend US$10 million to build the headquarters edifice," he stated.

In spite of this, however, he said the government is not in a haste to have the headquarters relocated.

"It is better to build the edifice that is respectable and befitting rather than move into some accommodation and then hang around."

Without giving any timeline, Mr Agyarko said "now that we have the approval, we will start the construction of the operational headquarters (of the GNPC) in the Western Region."

He said due process, including competing tendering, award of the contract, mobilisation of the contractor will be followed in the construction of the edifice.

"So when the contractor hands over the project, that is when we move in," Mr Agyarko said.

Read Full Story