A spokesperson to the Minister of Energy has stated that Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh
has demonstrated without a shred of doubt, his total commitment to getting the Tema
Oil Refinery (TOR) is back to work in line with the vision of His Excellency the President.
“Indeed, the Board, Management, and Staff of the Company are on record to have
severally touted the numerous positive interventions of the Minister in this regard,”
stated a response issued yesterday.
The response was from Kofi Abrefa Afena, Spokesperson for Energy Minister, Dr.
Matthew Opoku Prempeh (MP)
It was titled ‘Response to Captain Smart over Unjustified Attacks on Energy Minister in
the Tor Matter’ and is a response to certain effusions by Captain Smart of Onua FM
(Below is the letter).
RESPONSE TO CAPTAIN SMART OVER UNJUSTIFIED ATTACKS ON ENERGY MINISTER
IN THE TOR MATTER
The attention of the Energy Minister and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South, Dr.
Matthew Opoku Prempeh has been drawn to unjustified vituperations on his person by
Morning Show Host on Onua TV, Godsbrain Smart, popularly known in media circles as
Captain Smart, whilst commenting on the matter of the government finding a possible
strategic partner for the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR). Whilst we view the insults on the
Energy Minister as one of the ‘occupational hazards’ of a public servant, it is utterly
disappointing, that a journalist decides to sink to a record low, without apprising himself
of the relevant facts and having regard for the proper ethics of his profession. We wish to
respond to the rather baseless and clearly, ignorant rantings of Captain Smart as
follows:
1. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as Energy Minister has demonstrated without a
shred of doubt, his total commitment to getting TOR back to work in line with
the vision of His Excellency the President. Indeed, the Board, Management and
The staff of the Company is on record to have severally touted the numerous
positive interventions of the Minister in this regard
2. Government’s quest at finding a credible partner for revamping the
the company involves key state actors such as the State Interests and Governance
Authority (SIGA) and the Attorney General’s Department.
3. It is important to state that the company has in place a Board and a
Management running the day-to-day affairs, who are primary stakeholders in this
transaction.
4. Negotiations with the potential partner is still ongoing to the extent that, no
the contract has yet to be signed.
5. The Minister’s interest is to ensure that, the strategic private-sector partnership is
in the interest of TOR; an important step in getting the refinery back to work in
the shortest possible time
On the back of the above explanations, we struggle to understand how anybody can
allege a mirage of a wrongdoing on the part of the sector Minister. For the likes of
Captain Smart, it is just the usual easy business of maligning one’s reputation through
the throwing of tantrums to create an impression of corruption on the part of the
Minister in the eyes of unsuspecting citizens.
Captain Smart and his ilk are reminded that the history of this country is replete with a
number of instances, where Boards and Managements of State-owned Enterprises have
been solely answerable to the relevant authority without recourse to a sector Minister
and therefore the erroneous assumption that a Minister is blamed for every happening
is such a fallacy.
On the issues of the undiluted insults on Dr. Prempeh’s Ashanti royalty which has no
nexus with the current matter, it is not in our civilized place to respond in equal
measure, except to acknowledge that, it only accentuates the uncouth character of
Captain Smart as described by many Ghanaians.
Captain Smart must begin to understand that as a journalist, he has a responsibility to
educate and inform his audience and not to use his platform to deliberately transmit
hatred in furtherance of sinister agenda. We wish to alert Ghanaians of the avalanche of
contrived attacks in the offing on the Energy Minister in the coming days by his political
‘assailants’
Dr. Prempeh has not done anything untoward in the current matter and remains
focused in supporting and drawing synergies from relevant stakeholders in getting TOR
back to work.
*END*
SIGNED
KOFI ABREFA AFENA
SPOKESPERSON FOR ENERGY MINISTER, DR. MATTHEW OPOKU PREMPEH
(MP)
