The newly constructed building for the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), cost GHc65 million, the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Hassan Tampuli has revealed.
The five-storey structure located at Dzorwulu on the George Bush Highway (next to the office of the Petroleum Commission), will house all NPA’s operational units.
[contextly_sidebar id=”175iSonh4C2Hi6rwzQeXullbkYUfd8Wf”]Inaugurated in January 2017, the facility will facilitate the effective discharge of NPA’s mandate of regulating, overseeing and monitoring the downstream petroleum sector.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, Hassan Tampuli said is outfit is currently in the process of conducting an audit into the facility constructed by the previous administration to ascertain whether it was value for money.
“We have written to the Ministry of Energy for approval to engage the services of consultants to do an evaluation of the entire project cost, the acquisition of land and any other thing that is related to it. The cost of the building is GHc65 million. We have not come to the conclusion that there is any wrongdoing. We haven’t done the total assessment and I’m not able to pronounce the structural integrity of the building. We are almost at the tail end of that process,” he added.
NPA criticized for $63,000 rented office
The NPA in 2014 came under a wave of criticism for moving from its former office located at Cantonments in Accra to another occupant, to a rented facility in East Legon.
NPA at the time was accused of paying $63,000 as rent every month for occupying the facility, but the Authority justified the amount and described it as “necessary and urgent.”
Questions have been raised about the cost of the new building with many asking for an audit to ensure there was value for money.
–
By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin