Communications Specialist at the Energy Ministry, Kofi Abrefa Afena, has described as baseless some allegations made by the outgoing Managing Director of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited, Madam Frances Essiam.
Madam Essiam who has been the MD for the company since 2017, resigned from her position on Thursday, February 23, 2023.
The new MD, Madam Genevieve Sackey, was nominated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in a letter dated February 21, 2023.
Since the date on the appointment letter preceded that of Madam Essiam’s resignation letter, observers are raising concerns as to whether she resigned honourably or was fired.
Speaking on Eyewitness News with Selorm Adonoo, madam Essiam alleged that the letter appointing a new MD for the company was backdated by the appointing authority.
But in a sharp rebuttal on Eyewitness News, the Communications Specialist of the Ministry of Energy said Madam Frances got wind of a possible sack, hence her resignation.
“It could mean that she got wind of her possible sack… That’s a very wild allegation, it’s one of the most serious allegations that a former MD of a state-owned enterprise could make. You are alleging, essentially calling the integrity of the Presidency to question. If you make an allegation that a letter had been backdated, why would a letter be backdated?”
“The President [Akufo-Addo] reserves the power to appoint and disappoint. So why would the Presidency backdate a letter? He appointed you and he can sack you. The President has the power to hire and fire. These are conjectures and speculations and for me, they have no basis of truth,” Mr. Afena stated.
He said he has not sighted Madam Frances Essiam’s termination or resignation letters.
“I haven’t sighted the letter revoking the appointment of Madam Frances Essiam and I haven’t also seen her resignation letter, I have heard it in the media circles,” the Communication Specialist of the Ministry said.
Reacting to Madam Frances Essiam’s claims that the Energy Minister, Mathew Opoku Prempeh is in favour of GOIL being awarded a contract against Ghana Gas to takeover Ghana Cylinder, he said, “this is a very unsubstantiated allegation. I think that she’s saying this because she’s no more in office. Why would you speak about something that you have no evidence of? It’s quite premature.
“The Minister has no personal interest in anything, all he’s interested in is to ensure that ultimately every decision he makes as a Minister is in the interest of Ghana. It’s clearly a conjecture, it’s nothing but an attempt to cast a slur on the hard-won reputation of the Minister, who has nothing to do with the sack of Madam Frances Essiam”.
