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A former head of Public Affairs at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Ms Esther Cobbah has denied receiving payments from the GNPC as end of service benefits (ESB).

Rather, she explained she was owed significant amounts by the GNPC for work done and for her contribution to the provident fund whilst she was in the employment of the corporation.

She said most recently, the Chief Executive informed her that the Board had resolved to settle her outstanding benefits and that the corporation will be paying her what she was entitled to.
In a press statement on Tuesday, Ms Cobbah explained that she was removed from office in 2001 and till date, her entitlements, including end of service benefits, provident fund entitlements as well as arrears of remuneration for her period of ‘secondment’ to the West Africa Gas Pipeline project from 1999 to 2001 have not been paid.

She therefore described recent statements by the Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Mr K.T. Hammond that she has received monies from the GNPC as attempts to deny her of what she was due after service that she rendered to the corporation.

“No amount has been paid yet, no payment has been made to date… I was however given assurances since 2009 that GNPC will meet its obligations,” she said and described the allegations being made by Mr Hammond as “really totally without a basis.”

“I thank God that no weapon fashioned against me by the making of such unjustified attacks will prosper,” she added.

K.T. Hammond allegations

Mr Hammond who made the allegations public said Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, a former Chief Executive of GNPC who left the corporation 15 years ago had been paid GhȻ1 million as compensation for work done during his tenure as head of the organization. Mr Tsikata was removed as Chief Executive of GNPC in 2000 by former President J.J. Rawlings.

According to Mr Hammond, another former Chief Executive, Mr Asafu Adjaye, as well as a former staff member of the corporation, Ms Esther Cobbah who headed public affairs, received almost GhȻ1 million and about GhȻ600,000 respectively.

These monies, according to Mr Hammond, were meant for specific projects and that out of the $342 million which accrued to Ghana from the sale of oil this year, $98.3 million was set aside for the GNPC to use for some specific projects.

He therefore expressed concerns about the quantum paid to each individual and called for a probe of the payments arguing it was illegal.

On Monday the GNPC issued a statement and confirmed the payment of end of service benefits to some senior management personnel who were removed from office in 2001 and explained the four former senior management personnel, comprising of two former chief executives and two managers were entitled to the monies.

Esther Cobbah's response

Ms Cobbah in her statement explained that she worked in various capacities for GNPC from 1989 when she set up the Public Affairs Department including being Public Affairs Manager.

“In 1999 I was sent to the West Africa Gas Pipeline project as the External Affairs Manager. I set up the External Affairs Department of the project with staff from the four countries Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana.”

“I was in that role when in May 2001 I went with the Project Manager, an employee of Chevron to a meeting at the office of the then Minister of Energy, Ghana. Quite unexpectedly, the Minister announced that the government was removing me from the project even though my appointment as External Affairs Manager of the West Africa Gas Pipeline project was not a government appointment over which the Minister had authority, I decided not to contest the issues having regard to the circumstances of the day.”

“Soon after this notification by the Minister, I was again notified by the corporation that my services were no longer needed. To this day, my entitlements, including my end of service benefits, my provident fund entitlements as well as arrears of remuneration for my period of secondment to the West Africa Gas Pipeline project have not been paid. I was however given assurances since 2009 that GNPC will meet its obligations.

"Most recently the Chief Executive of GNPC informed me that the Board of GNPC had resolved to settle these matters and the corporation will be paying me what I am entitled to. No amount has been paid yet, no payment has been made to date. The statement of K.T. Hammond appeared to be attempts to deny me of my due after service that I have rendered to the corporation. I thank God that no weapon fashioned against me by the making of such unjustified attacks will prosper. I also thank God that he has taken me through various circumstances with his guiding hand. I have found it necessary to issue this brief statement to make the public aware of the basic facts which are being misrepresented.

K.T. Hammond's rebuttal

However Mr Hammond in a rebuttal on Asempa FM Tuesday afternoon said Ms Cobbah was offered her redundancy package in 2001 when she was removed but she rejected it arguing it was too small.