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The chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Mines and Energy in Parliament, has revealed that only one, of the four former employees of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), marked to receive the controversial ex-gratia has been paid.

GNPC appeared before the committee today to answer questions on why they have approved payment of ex-gratia to some four former managers of the company, 15 years after they had left the company.

GNPC announced on Monday that its board has approved the payment former former CEO, Tsatsu Tsikata, former Public Affairs Manager Esther Cobbah, Benjamin Dagadu (Field Evaluation and Development Manager) and Nana Boakye Asafo-Adjaye (Ag. Chief Executive). 

When tasked to comment on the progress of his committee’s probing into the GNPC on Citi Eyewitness News, Mr. Sorogho stated that the committee had not come to any conclusions yet. 

He added that that the representatives from GNPC were not fully prepared for their meeting today in lieu of the short notice given for the summons. He added discussions had so far been limited to areas around their collective bargaining agreement.

Mr. Sorogho stressed that documentary evidence was key to their probe and that they had not received all the documentary evidence necessary for a substantial conclusion saying they were waiting for some key documents pertaining to the payments, which are expected to arrive by Monday.

He however revealed that three people had not yet received any ex-gratia payment with one person having received payment. The select committee is however unaware of the exact amount that one individual received.

Mr. Sorogho also justified his committee’s summoning of The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) without the speaker of the house’s referral.

Mr. Sorogho provided clarification on the protocol surrounding summoning pointing out that speaker referrals only came in when there was an “issue brought by government or by NPP or to Mr. speaker, most of them to bills and a few of the to petitions”

He stated that that it was the job of the committee to provide oversight over the energy sector and the Mining sector adding, “If there is anything of public interest, we don’t need to wait for Mr. Speaker.”

Mr. Sorogho stressed that the public had a stake in this GNPC saga.

“The committee works to satisfy the public. Mind you members of the committee are elected representatives of the people and so anything that has a public concern is also a concern of the committee.”

He however pointed out that the Speaker and the members of parliament will be made aware of the committee findings upon the conclusion of their work next week Wednesday.

“When we come to a conclusion, we will brief Mr. Speaker, we will make a report through the leadership and then if there is the need for us to debate it, we do that.”

He stated that the committee was only acting responsibly committee and added that it was necessary to derive the truth and get clarification on the reasons for this ex-gratia payment.