Petroleum Workers Union Calls For TOR Board To Be Dissolved “They Don’t Deserve To Be In Charge”

• The General Transport, Petroleum, and Chemical Workers Union has called for the Tema Oil Refinery board to be dissolved
• The union's National Chairman, Bernard Owusu, also called for the TOR MD to be sacked
• The union's comments come in the wake of the controversial attempt by Torentco Asset Management Limited to lease the refinery

The General Transport, Petroleum, and Chemical Workers Union has called for the Tema Oil Refinery board to be dissolved and its Managing Director to be sacked.

The union is upset about handling the proposed partnership with Torentco Asset Management Limited.

The union's National Chairman, Bernard Owusu, told YEN.com.gh that the current leadership of TOR had supervised rot at the company.

"The government has to dissolve the board of TOR and sack the managing director.”

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"To be able to supervise this rot, they don’t deserve to be in charge of affairs of the state refinery.”

He said the union had never favoured the deal, which the Special Prosecutor has flagged.

The Special Prosecutor also recently directed the refinery to suspend its proposed partnership agreement with Torentco.

The Attorney General has also questioned Torentco's capabilities, indicating that the company lacked the licenses and documentation to undertake the proposed lease transaction.

Though the union believes the state can run the refinery, Owusu said his outi is not opposed to a private partnership as long as due process is followed.

"Government should do an advert and let the whole world know the problems of TOR and invite investors.”

Previous pressure to halt the deal

YEN.com.gh reported on calls for the government to halt the lease of the refinery.

For instance, the Chamber of Oil and Petroleum Consumers said Torentco Asset Management lacks refinery experience.

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However, some workers at the refinery support the deal and have backed the government's moves.

Torentco was expected to refine up to 8 million barrels of oil annually and pay $1 million annually to the state as rent under the deal.

Source: YEN.com.gh