By Michael Foli Jackidy, GNA
Dzodze (V/R), May 27, GNA – The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has raised concerns over discrepancies surrounding the implementation of some petroleum revenue-funded projects in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region.
Madam Freda Frimpong, a member of the PIAC, speaking during a public engagement at the Ketu North Municipal Assembly on Tuesday, stressed the need for stronger transparency, accountability and local participation in the utilisation of petroleum revenues.
She said the engagement forms part of their statutory mandate and so far, have undertaken more than 123 district engagements across the country to create opportunities for citizens to participate in discussions on petroleum revenue utilisation.
Madam Frimpong noted that PIAC was currently reviewing its 2025 Annual Report, as mandated by law, adding that the committee produced both semi-annual and annual reports on its findings and observations regarding petroleum revenue management.
She disclosed that Ghana’s crude oil production, particularly from the Jubilee Field, had experienced a steady decline since 2019.
“In 2019, the Jubilee Field produced about 71.4 million barrels of oil, but production has since declined by about nine per cent and continues to decrease,” she said.
Madam Frimpong also expressed concern over the continued allocation of petroleum revenues to the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) despite the government’s new “Big Push” infrastructure development agenda.
According to her, PIAC was calling on government to amend the relevant law if it intended to continue funding GIIF projects alongside the Big Push initiative.
As part of its monitoring activities, Madam Frimpong said the PIAC had inspected two out of five identified projects in the municipality, including the 1,000-metric-ton warehouse at Diode.
She said although the facility had reportedly remained unused for some time, the committee observed during its visit that it was currently being utilised for the storage of maize and rice.
“We were impressed that the warehouse is now almost fully stocked with maize and rice, which indicates that it is finally serving its intended purpose. However, the facility still requires painting and improvement of its surrounding environment,” she stated.
Madam Frimpong, however, raised concerns about the Ehi-Dzodze Road project, of which the PIAC was informed had been awarded in 2006 but remained uncompleted despite the reported disbursement of petroleum revenue funds.
She disclosed that an amount of GHS1.52 million from the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) was reportedly released for the project in 2024.
“We were informed that the contractor, Dygate Ghana Limited, initially mobilised equipment to site but later abandoned the project. We need to conduct further investigations to establish what happened to the funds and why the project remains incomplete,” she said.
She said the PIAC would continue its investigations and publish its findings after completing its field verification exercises.
Madam Frimpong further expressed concern about the limited involvement of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the planning, implementation and supervision of petroleum revenue-funded projects.
“Sometimes the assemblies are not even aware of where projects are located or the amount allocated to them, making it difficult for them to effectively supervise or monitor the projects,” she noted.
She called for stronger participation of assemblies in project selection, contract awarding and monitoring processes to strengthen accountability and deepen decentralisation.
Reverend Martin Amenaki, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu North, commended PIAC for its role in promoting prudent management and utilisation of petroleum revenues in the country.
He said government remained committed to ensuring that petroleum revenues benefited citizens through strategic infrastructure investments under the “Big Push” initiative.
Rev Amenaki disclosed that the Ehi-Dzodze Road project was awarded to Dygate Ghana Limited in November 2006 at a contract sum of GHS762,228.17, while an additional ABFA allocation of GHS1.52 million was later disbursed for the project.
He, however, lamented that despite official records indicating that the project had been completed and fully paid for, the road remained uncompleted.
“Our joint inspection with the PIAC team confirmed that the project was never executed despite the reported disbursement of funds. This highlights the importance of PIAC’s oversight role and the need for citizens to remain vigilant,” he stated.
Rev Amenaki appealed to the government to trace the contractor and ensure completion of the project.
He stressed that transparency and accountability in resource governance were collective responsibilities and urged citizens to actively participate in discussions concerning the use of national resources.
The engagement allowed members of the public, including chiefs and queen mothers, to ask questions and seek clarification on petroleum revenue-funded projects within the municipality.
Some members of the public expressed surprise at some of the projects listed as having been funded with petroleum revenues in the municipality.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Benjamin Mensah