Alleged GH¢10 million theft at TOR not surprising – Murtala

Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed has said the GHS10m alleged stealing at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is to blame on the failure to punish culprits who engaged in similar acts in recent past years after some fuel went missing.

He stated that five million litres of fuel went missing but after investigations were conducted into the situation by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), the culprits were not held liable for their actions.

To that end, he said, people feel emboldened to commit such offences.

His comment comes after some staff of the TOR have been interdicted for their involvement in the alleged theft of GHS10.4 million worth of cables.

According to the Interim Management Committee (IMC), the affected staff “who hold various positions of responsibility and accountability concerning the transfer of products, have been queried and interdicted pending the outcome of investigations.”

It added “The Interim Management Committee (IMC) at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Ltd. has as part of its ongoing mandate to conduct Technical and HR audits, and also access viable business partnerships for the Refinery have concluded that consistent product and financial losses need to be eradicated completely if the Refinery is to meet its vast potential.

“Hence the IMC has committed to establishing a ‘zero tolerance culture for unacceptable product losses’, commenced investigations into a number of product storage and transfer losses recorded in the company over a period of time.

“Consequently, a number of workers who hold various positions of responsibility and accountability with respect to the transfer of products have been queried and interdicted pending the outcome of investigations”.

The statement added: “The IMC however wishes to reiterate that the investigations will be carried out with due consideration to a fair process. We implore everyone to be patient and not jump to any conclusions until investigations have been completed.

“Individuals who are found not responsible nor accountable for the financial and product losses would be fully restored while those found responsible and accountable in the chain of command ( with respect to product losses during storage, movement and transfer will be dealt with accordingly”.

Speaking on this matter on the new Day Show on TV3 Wednesday October 6, Murtala Mohammed who is also a fomer Deputy Minister of Trade told Johnnie Hughes that “This thievery happened under this government. Five million liter vanished and the NPA itself did their investigations, cited some people for having been the actors who ensured the vanishing of that alcohol. . So it should been surprising that this thing is happening under this government. The question is that when people engage in such act and nothing happens they are emboldened.

“We raised issues, not just the NDC, CSOs including media and people who have the expertise in appreciating how this oil industry is operated, is vanished so don’t be surprised that this also vanished.”

For his part, Former Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye who denied that this development occurred under the Akufo-Addo administration expressed shock at the happening.

Dr Okoe-Boye said “It takes human beings or people to build, it takes human beings or people to destroy. It takes human beings to sustain or nurture an inefficient system, it takes same human beings to address it.

“I am saying this just to put in perspective that the kind of working environment that allows these things to happen, I suspect strongly , the kind of leadership that allows this to happen is not the same leadership we are having now.

“That is why most efficient international companies don’t joke with rotation of their branch managers of heads so that whatever is happening at one place when a new person comes you will normally will do an audit of the system and give a report so that of anything happens the liability is not ascribed to you.”

“I am happy that there is a new leadership that is alerting us of all these. It tells us how worrying things can be at certain places in this country.

“I will call on the state bodies, NIB , the Police to take up the matter.”