GOVT TO RELEASE $50m TO TOR FOR RETOOLING

THE Government is set to release $50 million to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) for retooling as part of its immediate strategies to recapitalise the refinery.

This followed extensive consultations which culminated in a closed-door meeting that took place on August 18, 2011 involved President John Evans Mills and the leadership of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in partnership with the refinery’s workers union and the Union of Industry, Commerce and Finance Workers (UNICOF).

The meeting also discussed the recent incessant shortages of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) following weeks of inactivity at the refinery’s two major plants, the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) and the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC), as well as the continual shutdown of the two plants over the last eight months.

An official source at the meeting told the Daily Graphic that the difficulties being encountered by TOR, especially over the last two years, had been of great concern to the President, who immediately called for a stakeholders’ meeting at which the challenges were discussed.

The meeting, which was held on August 22, 2011 and chaired by the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, had in attendance the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr Kwabena Duffuor, the Attorney-General, Mr Martin Amidu, the Information Minister, Mr John Tia Akologo, and one of deputies, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, as well as officials of the Energy Ministry.

Also at the meeting were the board chairman of TOR, Mr Eric Okai, and the Managing Director, Mr Ato Ampiah, Mr Alex Mould of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), representatives of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Messers Kofi Asamoah of the TUC and Kofi Gavoh of UNICOF.

The meeting resolved that since the government over the years had not resourced TOR financially, resulting in a significant proxy borrowing by the refinery that nearly crippled its entire operations, there was the need for the Cabinet and the Finance ministry to raise additional $200 million as an operational fund to enable it to co-ordinate its activities of crude oil purchases among others.

The refinery’s management has, therefore, been tasked to submit its audited financial report to the government as the sole shareholder, to enable it to determine the way forward on the recommendations.

The deputy information minister, Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa, who confirmed the meeting to the Daily Graphic when contacted, indicated that the refinery’s management was to present its financial audit statement for study, “since we all agreed that there were certain things that needed to be done that included account management, audit of management systems, including the human factor”.

He said TOR’s board and management had agreed to submit the three reports by the end of September and as soon as that was done and the government was satisfied, the $50 million would be released.

Asked whether the government in the meantime would support the refinery with its crude oil purchase arrangement, Mr Ablakwa said the government would only intervene if management approached officials on the issue.

Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Tue, August 30, 2011

TEXTILES ANTI PIRACY TASK FORCE VOWED TO SUSTAIN OPERATION

LOCAL textile manufacturers and the Joint Anti Piracy Task Force against pirated textile prints have vowed to sustain their operation to seize pirated wax print from various markets nationwide as a way to curb the menace of importation of the trademarks of local manufacturers.

They have also indicated their preparedness to ensure that persons engaged in such nefarious activities are brought to book and also publicly destroy pirated textiles tthat may be seized.

The counterfiet wax prints which were alleged to have been smuggled into the country mostly from China according to officials, contained over 28 banned chemicals that were not allowed in textile manufacturing the world over owing to their ability to cause skin cancer and other skin diseases in the event of usage.

According to the General Secretary of Textiles, Garment and Leather Employees Union (TEGLEU), Mr Abraham Koomson, the activities of persons aiding smugglers that bring in fake pirated imports do not only undermine the credibility of the local manufacturers but also go to compound the already bad situation of crippling the local textile industry.

Addressing a press conference in Tema following a Daily Graphic publication on Tuesday August 23, 2011that suggested that traders at the Makola 31st December Market chased out members of the Anti Piracy Local Textile Designers Task Force, when the group visited the market to seize what were considered illegal prints, Mr Koomson questioned the traders who claimed to be doing legal business why they were hiding under the cloak of anonymity when they spoke to the media.

He indicated that the task force, which had police personnel as members, fled the market to avoid bloodshed, since armed police personnel with them could have fired in the heat of the melee.

He further explained that the setting up of the task force by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2010, was in response to numerous appeals from the union and local manufacturers for the government to step in to halt the upsurge in the pirating of textile designs belonging to local manufacturers.

The general secretary explained that Ghana was said to have lost some GH¢30 billion of its total revenue of which the textile industry was a major contributor following the massive loss of jobs in that sector.

The operation being carried out by the group has been in existence over a decade even before the setting up of the task force about a year ago, Mr Koomsomn explained.

He said the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) signed by a number of countries of which Ghana was a member had ensured that governments all over the world had in place punitive measures to ensure existing and prospective dealers in pirated textile prints were dealt with.

Thus, it was, therefore incumbent on the government to show commitment to protect and promote industries and enterprises in its quest to sustain a striving economy, since such actions have the potential of discouraging potential investors.

He lamented over the growing decline in the industry which had in the past employed more than 25,000 people.

The Marketing Director of Tex Styles Ghana Limited (GTP), Nana Kwabena Yentumi, urged the media to adequately support the task force to ensure that set regulations against the practice were curbed to avoid the annual loss of some GH¢30 million in revenue through the smuggling of textile fabrics.

According to him, the previous employment of some 25,000 in the textile and garment industry represented some 27 per cent of total manufacturing employment in the past, which had since dwindled to a minimal figure of 2,500 among the three major manufacturers, namely, GTP, Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) and Printex Ghana Limited.

He similarly urged traders and their protoges who were burnt on seeing the local industry crumble to refrain from such activities and rather contribute to the growth of the sector.

Representatives of GTP, ATL and Printex were present at the briefing.

Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Aug 25, 2011

ENERGY MINISTRY SEEKS FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL LPG GANTRY

(Deputy Energy Minister, Mr Armah Kofi Buah (middle) with Mr Ato Ampiah (left), Managing Director of TOR and Dr Yaw Akoto (right), MD of BOST arriving at one of the storage depot's during the tour)






THE Ministry of Energy is in discussion with the Ministry of Finance on the need to build a six-arm additional Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) loading gantry at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to complement the two existing ones as part of the short-term strategies to address the frequent shortage of the commodity.

As part of the project, five additional storage tanks would be constructed to create a buffer stock and an eight-inch pipeline laid to improve the pump rate of the product from the oil jetty to the loading bays.

The existing gantries can load up to 50 trucks per day while the current six-inch pipeline in use pumps between 50-60 tonnes of LPG per hour, a situation TOR officials described as worrying, hence the need to have an expanded pipeline in place to address the challenge.

Similarly, the officials have also submitted proposals to the Cabinet for a review of subsidies on LPG by users across the board to slow the strain on demand, particularly on the part of commercial users .

The review, the officials say, will ensure that windfall prices are removed as part of strategies to stabilise the market, as the government’s annual subsidy on the commodity, according to officials, stands at GH¢150 million, with monthly subsidy alone standing at some GH¢12.5 million.

The Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Petroleum, Mr Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, disclosed this when he toured the construction site of a multi-million dollar LPG storage facility at the Kpone Industrial Area in Tema.

The structure, belonging to FuelTrade Limited, a bulk distributor of refined petroleum products, and being constructed at $50 million, when completed, can store up to 4,000 tonnes of the commodity.

He was accompanied by Mr Alex Mould, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Dr Yaw Akoto of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Mr Ato Ampiah, Managing Director of TOR, and some officials of the ministry.

According to officials of FuelTrade, civil works on the facility are about 70 per cent complete toward their March 2012 completion deadline.

The visit by the minister was as a result of the perennial shortage of LPG, which has resulted in consumers forming long winding queues at the various distribution outlets across the country.

It was also to afford the delegation the opportunity to inspect existing storage infrastructure and to discuss ways of improving upon them.

He also inspected works on a 1,500-tonne storage facility being put up by the TOR and the only oil jetty at the Tema Port.

He indicated that as part of the medium-term goals, work on a temporary badge in Takoradi was expected to begin in the next six months.

Mr Buah blamed inadequate infrastructure for the problem and commended officials of FuelTrade, expressing optimism that the project would increase the country’s current national storage capacity from some 6,300 tonnes to about 11,700 to ease the pressure on the government.

He stated that 40,000 tonnes of the commodity was consumed in 2001 but the figure had been increasing, and was expected to reach about 248,000 by the end of the year.

Mr Ampiah said the 1,500-tonne capacity project being undertaken by the refinery would also provide some respite when completed in the next seven months.

Meanwhile, a consignment of 4,000 tonnes of LPG imported by FuelTrade has arrived at the Tema Port and is expected to be on the market by Thursday after a successful delivery.

Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Aug 18, 2011

TURF WAR AT STX AS KOREAN, GHANAIAN DIRECTORS FIGHT FOR CONTROL

THE raging controversy surrounding the construction of some 30,000 housing units for the security services under the STX Housing Project has taken a new twist as the Ghanaian and Korean directors engage in a 'turf war'.

While the Korean directors last Thursday said they had relieved their Ghanaian partner, Mr B. K. Asamoah, of his post as Chief Executive of the STX Engineering and Construction Limited, Mr Asamoah, for his part, has issued a statement, saying that the Koreans no longer have a stake in the project.

Mr Asamoah said his Korean partners had no such mandate to sack him and indicated that he was still at post, saying that the partnership arrangement between his company and the Koreans had been dissolved.

In a statement issued in Accra yesterday, Mr Asamoah indicated that the STX Construction (Korea) was no longer an equity partner in STX Engineering and Construction Limited following its exit from the agreement in May, 2011.

It said site works for the affordable housing programme had already begun as promised in July, 2011 under the direction of STX Engineering and Construction Limited with support from the government.

The statement explained that the Korean partners had no locus in the project per their status and as such their decisions were void in the multi-million dollar project.

The officials gave the assurance that the project would progress steadily following new funding arrangements and the adoption of a US technology that would ensure rapid and effective implementation within the terms approved by Parliament.



The latest confusion has seen the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, joining the fray by reiterating the Minority's stance on the deal and underscoring the need for the agreement to be brought back to Parliament for proper scrutiny.

The Minority Leader explained on an Accra radio station that current developments had clearly shown that the STX deal had fallen out of place and, therefore, needed to be abrogated immediately to save the government and the country further embarrassment.

The latest twist to the housing project comes weeks after the Korean partners, STX Construction had dragged Mr Asamoah to court over alleged falsification of corporate documents and unlawful reconstitution of the board.

The government, in its bid to adequately arrest the depreciation in the country's housing deficit, initiated the STX Housing Project in partnership with STX Engineering and Construction Limited.

The project, which was supposed to have commenced in April, 2011 suffered several setbacks when the Koreans, in a law suit on May 16, 2011, which was against G.K. Airports Company Limited, Bernard Kwabena Asamoah and J. B. Asafo-Boakye, filed a special resolution, claiming to surrender all the stated shares of STX Construction Company Limited to G.K. Airports Company Limited, a move the plaintiffs argued could not stand in law because the Koreans were still part of the company.


Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Sat Aug 20, 2011

WORK PROGRESSES ON GAS STORAGE FACILITY PLANT

(Workers busily working on the facility)














WORK on a multi-million dollar Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage facility to increase the country’s storage capacity is underway at the Kpone Industrial Area in Tema.

When completed, the facility can store up to 4000 metric tonnes of LPG.

The structure, belonging to the Fueltrade Limited, a bulk distributor of refined petroleum products, is being constructed at $50 million.

According to officials of FuelTrade, the storage facility would increase the country’s current national storage capacity of some 6,300 metric tonnes to about 11,700.

The project, which began in August, 2010 on 12 acres, is expected to be completed by March, 2012.

The Commercial and Technical Director of FuelTrade, Mr Andrews Baafi Owusu, told the Daily Graphic during a tour of the project site that the current 6300 storage capacity was woefully inadequate because of the increasing demand for the product by both commercial and domestic users.

The country’s weekly consumption of the commodity is about 4000 metric tonnes with the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) producing 50 to 60 per cent of the total national supply.

The consistent shortage of LPG has become a major source of worry to both consumers and stakeholders in the sector, while industry players and watchers have expressed worry that the intermittent shutdown of TOR’s production lines is also a major factor for the persistent shortage.

They have therefore called for a review of the subsidy, particularly with regard to commercial vehicle drivers who have found the commodity cheaper than petroleum products.

A recent publication by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) quoted the Deputy Minister of Energy, Mr Emmanuel Armah Buah, as saying that the government paid a monthly subsidy of GH¢14 million for LPG.

According to the report, the government’s subsidy on the commodity is aimed at cushioning the people while alternative arrangements are made to improve LPG infrastructure.

The Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) was incorporated to implement the national gas infrastructure project, according to the government, to own, manage and develop a national network of gas pipelines and gas treatment and storage facilities.

The company is also to market and sell gas, as well as carry out any general commercial activities related to the safe and reliable operation of the gas infrastructure.

Industry players, however, believe that the type of gas made up of ethane (C1) and methane (C2), better known as fuel gas, being produced at the Jubilee Fields might not necessarily solve the frequent challenges facing domestic consumption since these products are mainly used as petrochemical feedstock for ethylene production which is used to heat up crude oil for production.

For Jubilee gas to be used for domestic consumption, it must undergo processing called fractionation, where all materials other than methane are separated.

Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Aug 15, 2011

TOR RESUMES PRODUCTION

THE Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is set to restart its plant for production Wednesday after a four-week period of inactivity at its production lines.

This follows the successful discharge of some 600,000 barrels of crude from the Nippon Princess vessel that had been in dock at the Tema Port for the past five weeks.

The delivery of the consignment valued at $54 million was facilitated by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) who gave TOR a waiver on its Single Obligon Limit (SOL) regulation that restricts one commercial bank from granting loans of more than GH¢16 million to TOR.

Until the approval, TOR was finding it difficult to raise letters of credit (LCs) to cover the cost of the consignment which was procured from Nigeria through an open market arrangement by the refinery’s management.

The production of the consignment would, however, last three weeks, and this workers fear may result in another shut down should government fail to guarantee an alternative arrangement to ensure frequent procurement of crude oil.

An official source at the refinery told the Daily Graphic that the Crude Distillation (CDU) plant was expected to resume production of the crude oil tomorrow, whereas the restart of the Residual Crude Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) would be delayed to allow the CDU generate enough stock of atmospheric residue (AR) which was the RFCC’s major raw material processed into Liquefied Petroluem Gas (LPG), gasoline, crack residue fuel for industries as well as light and heavy cycle oil among other products.

The shut down of the RFCC and CDU which were carried out on June 30 and July 25, 2011 respectively was as a result TOR’s inability to establish letters of credit (LCs) from its bankers to purchase crude oil for production.

Meanwhile workers have expressed worry at government’s inability to ensure TOR had access to crude oil from the Jubilee fields for production.

Daily Graphic's sources at the refinery said, TOR's management at the commencement of production at the Jubilee fields intensified efforts to secure crude oil from the field to process.

According to the source, TOR secured letters of credit (LCs) to enable Vitol Plc deliver some 450,000 barrels of the jubilee crude to the refinery.

The deal they said was however
cancelled by officials of the Ministry of Energy for no just reason.

The Energy Minister, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei who described the allegations as mere speculations told the Daily Graphic that the issue was a technical one that the ministry may not want to meddle into.

According to him, for TOR to procure crude from the jubilee fields, it needed to satisfy a commercial requirement, thus the ministry would not allow itself to be drawn in such arguments.

"If TOR or any other entity has the ability to procure, they should engage the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation," he said.

He indicated that the selling of the crude oil on the international market was based on economic values in the petroleum agreement meant to ensure Ghana maximises enough benefit from the production.

"Unless there is a world shortage of crude oil and there is no where TOR can get crude, then as a country we can make a decision that it makes no sense to sell the jubilee crude," Dr Oteng-Adjei stated.

Expatiating, he said the issue to procure the jubilee crude was one that the refinery's management ought to address with GNPC, as government in its efforts to ensure TOR's profitability had eliminated the huge indebtedness that had over the years posed a major challenge that impeded the company's growth.

"If TOR looks at the prices the country is getting for the jubilee crude coupled with their technical requirement and feels they have the capacity to buy and would be able to provide the necessary financial guarantees, then we at the ministry have no problem," he explained.


Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Aug 9, 2011.

I FEEL VINDICATED - BABA JAMAL

AFTER days of speculations that his voice was on a tape that pledged largesse to journalists who do the bidding of the government, a Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Mohammed Baba Jamal, says he feels vindicated that the voice which has been aired severally on radio stations is not his.

According to him, although, he had been vindicated, the matter would still be thoroughly investigated by the security agencies.

He told the Daily Graphic that the ministry had submitted a written complaint to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and the police to appropriately investigate the opening of accounts for some beneficiaries of the alleged government sponsorship package offered them under the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP).

Mr Jamal was alleged to have spearheaded a campaign to use state funds to induce journalists to embellish and distort stories to enhance the chances of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2012 general election.

According to Mr Jamal, the flying around of account numbers in the name of certain personalities connoted criminality which the government was concerned about. There was the need, therefore, for thorough investigations.

The deputy minister who also threatened legal action said he was in discussion with his legal counsel on what line of action to take to clear his name.

He indicated that the allegations were not different from similar ones leveled against his colleague deputy minister, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the sector minister, Mr John Akologu Tia, who were said to have acquired landed property in the United Kingdom and Tema respectively.

“It is just that mine was in a different dimension,” he stated.

Asked why he was the only one singled out for the alleged conspiracy among the numerous government appointees, Mr Jamal said: “my sister, when a criminal comes to your area and decides to choose your house for his operation, would you know the reason for his action?” he quizzed.

Mr Jamal who denied having a secret meeting with selected journalists in the Upper East Region said when he was in the region, he held two different meetings - one with the Regional Minister, the District Chief Executive for the area and staff of the Information Services Department (ISD) and, thereafter, held a press conference and later departed for Wa on that same day.

He, therefore, wondered when and where the supposed meeting took place and how he was present to have made such promises to the group.

Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Aug 8, 2011.

BoG GIVES TOR APPROVAL TO RAISE $54M FOR CRUDE

THE Bank of Ghana has given approval to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to raise $54 million from local banks to pay for 600,000 barrels of crude oil which have remained on the high seas for the past four weeks.

Until the approval, TOR was finding it difficult to raise letters of credit covering $54 million because of a regulation by the central bank on the Single Obligon Limit (SOL) which restricts one commercial bank from granting loans of more than GH¢16 million to TOR.

With the approval, the Nippon Princess vessel carrying the consignment can now dock at the single point mooring (SPM) at the Tema Port for onward delivery to TOR.

An official source at the refinery told the Daily Graphic that pumping of the product to TOR’s reservoirs was expected to begin today August 4, 2011, following a successful establishment of the LCs by the bank.

The delivery of the consignment would on the other hand last for a three weeks period, and these workers feared may result in another shut down should government failed to guarantee an alternative arrangement to ensure frequent procurement of crude oil.

The unavailability of crude oil for production over the past weeks compelled management to shut down the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) plant last week, four weeks after an earlier shutdown of the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) on June 30, this year.

The latest shutdown of the two plants was the third in a series of shutdowns undertaken by the refinery management within this year.

In all the instances, the shutdowns had lasted for four weeks, while the restarting processes which were carried out through a gasification process where Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and light gas were put into the system to heat it up before the application of the atmospheric residue (AR) consumed some 20 tones of LPG estimated at some $6000.

Meanwhile the leadership of the senior staff and junior staff workers of TOR have indicated their intention to meet with the leadership of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) over government’s inability to ensure TOR had access to crude oil from the Jubilee fields.

According to them, TOR had since the commencement of production at the Jubilee fields intensified efforts to secure crude from the field to process of which LCs were raised to enable Vitol deliver.

They indicated that twist of events from the Ministry of Energy led to the cancellation of the order.

Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic, Aug 4, 2011

TOR, BANK OF GHANA IN TALKS FOR WAIVER

OFFICIALS of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) at press time yesterday, were engaged in talks with the Bank of Ghana (BoG) for a waiver of its Single Obligon Limit (SOL) regulation that restricts commercial banks to grant loans of more than GH¢16 million to TOR.

Following the restriction, TOR was compelled to shut down the Crude Distillation Unit (CDU) plant last week, four weeks after an earlier shutdown of the Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker (RFCC) on June 30, this year, because of its inability to establish letters of credit (LCs) to cover crude oil imports.

Meanwhile 600,000 barrels of crude oil ordered from Nigeria by the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is still in dock at the Tema Port awaiting a successful establishment of letters of credit (LCs) for delivery.

The Nippon Princess vessel, owned by Chakos Shipping Line, is conveying the consignment and when the letters of credit are established, it will dock at the single point mooring (SMP) facility for eventual discharge.

The latest shutdown of the two plants is the third in a series of shutdowns undertaken by the TOR within this year.

In all the instances, the shutdowns had lasted for four weeks, while the restarting processes which were carried out through a gasification process where Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and light gas were put into the system to heat it up before the application of the atmospheric residue (AR) consumed some 20 tonnes of LPG estimated at some $6000.

The intermittent shutdown of the two plants has become a major cause of worry for the workers of the company who have accused the government of failing to prioritise the refinery as one of its important national assets.

The management of the refinery has since the beginning of July been under pressure to establish LCs to take delivery of a consignment ordered from Nigeria through an open market arrangement.

The situation has prompted the Managing Director, Mr Ato Ampiah, to cut short his leave to enable him to adequately resolve the issue for a possible restart of the two plants.

Mr Ampiah told the Daily Graphic that TOR officials were feverishly resolving the issue, saying, “If the LCs go through today, we are likely to begin pumping by tomorrow.

''TOR has not imported its own crude for the past years, and now that we are making strides in that area, some of these challenges are sure to come about.” Mr Ampiah explained.

He indicated that although various discussions had been held with the government as a major shareholder on the obligon limit regulation, there was the need for TOR to stand to its status as a limited liability company.

According to him, the minimal structure of commercial banks in the country made it necessary for TOR to ensure that its coffers were efficient, since the government could not order the release of funds in the form of loans when it was not sure monies given out as loans would return appropriately.

“We are making sure that we develop TOR’s efficiency highly by engaging in internal restructuring to salvage the fortunes of refinery, ” he reiterated.

Mr Ampiah said TOR did not want a repetition of the unpleasant challenge they had posed to the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) over the years and were thus in a cautious transition to ensure the refinery’s profitability by the end of the year.

He, on the other hand, gave the assurance that the two plants would resume operations immediately issues surrounding the LCs were resolved.

SOURCE: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic (Tue, Aug 2, 2011)

FIGHTING CORRUPTION WILL BE MY FOCUS, CHRAJ BOSS

THE Newly appointed Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Ms Lauretta Vivian Lamptey, has declared her determination to fight corruption in all forms, without fear or favour.

“The ability to stick to your principles, contrary to the position that others have, is what makes you who you are,” she said.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an exclusive interview in Accra, Ms Lamptey said she was an “anti-corruptionist in all forms”.

Ms Lamptey is the second substantive commissioner since CHRAJ was set up in 1993 by Act 456.

Her appointment follows the retirement of Mr Justice Emile Short 2010 and the resignation of her deputy, Ms Anna Bossman, in May this year.

Until her appointment, Ms Lamptey was a representative of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) on the board of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB).

Ms Lamptey, who is a legal practitioner, investigator and ombudsman, said, “Having the right training is not necessarily what one has to bring on board but the ability to understand the issue of whether it is a human rights mandate or an anti-corruption mandate.”

According to her, the position as CHRAJ boss mandated her to clean up corruption, which required one to be fair, strong and independent, as well put the nation first.

On the issue of human rights, which are one of the core mandates of the commission, she said there was the need for more education for the citizenry to understand what was and what was not a human rights issue.

She said there was the need for effective communication for people to understand when their rights were being trampled upon and, therefore, had the right to report such abuse.

She said her outfit would operate an open-door policy, of which fairness would be the hallmark.

Ms Lamptey said although there would always be an opposing side to an issue, being able to be firm and decisive was key.

A one-time investment banker, Ms Lamptey, who praised her predecessors for the yeoman’s work that they had done at the commission, said she would also focus on enhancing and raising CHRAJ’s profile internationally.

She said the commission would work on issues in accordance with internationally set standards, noting that “human rights do not exist in a vacuum”.

She was, however, quick to add that the commission, in looking at best practices, would not neglect the country’s customs and traditions, saying that it would look at issues on the basis of what was acceptable and tolerant first.

On the issue of under-staffing and the lack of resources confronting CHRAJ, Ms Lamptey said, “If the problem is caused by budgeting, then it will not be a daunting task.”

She said CHRAJ would ensure that she made a case for the government to know what the consequences of budgeting constraints could mean for an institution like CHRAJ, noting that for CHRAJ to succeed in its investigations, which were mostly high-profile and, therefore, needed thorough investigations, there was the need for resources to be made available to it to perform effectively.

She bemoaned the fact that the commission, which had engaged as many as 80 lawyers in 2000, was now left with only 20 lawyers because of the lack of resources.

“This situation is unacceptable and frightening,” she said.

Ms Lamptey said she was ready for the task ahead, but indicated that there was the need for the country to follow international best practices by bringing on board commissioners who would bring a breath of different experience to play.

SOURCE: Rebecca Quaicoo-Duho & Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic
Mon August 1, 2011

ANOTHER GAS EXPLOSION VICTIM DIES

A survivor on admission at the Tema General Hospital

ANOTHER victim in the recent Ashaiman gas explosion accident was yesterday reported dead at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital where he had been on admission at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre.

The deceased, Abdullai Manamu, 25, according to hospital officials, passed on at about 9:a.m. yesterday morning.

Hospital officials said Manamu who sustained 75 per cent injury from the accident also had an inhalation injury in his respiratory tract.

An inhalation injury results when the respiratory passage suffers severe burns , making the passage to swell.

His death followed that of 37-year old father of two, Baba Yakubu Issaka, who passed away on Tuesday at the same facility.

The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu, who confirmed the death to the Daily Graphic said the deceased's body had been deposited at the hospital’s morgue awaiting the coroner’s report and onward release to his family for burial in line with Islamic tradition.

Mr Salifu indicated that although an "escharotomy" operation, where the skin is cut open to decompose the dead tissue and allow the deceased access to passage through the respiratory system was done, the severity of the burns made it impossible for him to survive.

He said two others - Pascal Amuzu, 27, and Mr Prince Agyare, who also sustained similar injuries were still being worked on by a team of doctors at the facility.

A third person, Mr Richard Dzineku, is said to be in good condition and expressed the hope that he could pull through.

The deceased was among 16 persons who sustained various degrees of injury in a gas explosion at a popular food joint known as the "Boys Boys fried rice joint” in Ashaiman, adjacent to the Opportunity Bank in the municipality's central business district.

Eleven others who were rushed to the Tema General Hospital were said to be responding to treatment.

Source: Della Russel Ocloo, Daily Graphic (Thur July 29, 2011)