The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has invoked the Right to Information (RTI) law, seeking answers to the alleged sale of state-owned Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to Chinese-owned Sentuo Oil Refinery.
While we cannot independently verify the claims that TOR has been sold, ASEPA claims its decision to invoke the RTI law stems from a whistleblower alert it received about a meeting between TOR’s management and Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd.
The meeting which allegedly discussed the sale of TOR, happened on April 4.
“The meeting we were informed, lasted from 10 am to 1 pm at the premises of the TOR after which there was a large celebration at Sentuo Oil Refinery Ltd to celebrate the outcome of the supposed meeting,” ASEPA’s executive director, Mensah Thompson said in a statement Monday, April 8.
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The RTI request would also demand from the management of TOR to disclose to the general public the content of the April 4th meeting between both parties and what the ramifications are for the future of TOR, ASEPA said further.
Commissioned in January by President Akufo-Addo, the Sentuo Oil Refinery is a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, and enlisted under the government’s One District, One-factory project.
The $2 billion refinery which is located 3km away from TOR produces about 40,000 barrels of petroleum products daily, leaving some industry experts worried that the refinery may overshadow TOR, whose refinery operations were halted since 2021 over-indebtedness.
