The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, has cut the sod for the construction of the $25million Operational Head Office for the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) in Takoradi.
Addressing the gathering, President Akufo-Addo said the project was part of his manifesto promises.
“Today, we are here to witness the concretization of my manifesto promise to relocate the operational head office of GNPC to Takoradi. I am here to cut the sod for the commencement of construction works on a seven-storey modern office complex spanning about 7000 square metres of floor space to be used as the operational headquarters of GNPC.”
He then said that the Western Region was benefitting from the many initiatives undertaken by GNPC,
“which is consistent with the fact that the oil and gas resources that generate the revenues of the Corporation are located off the shores of the region.”
Nana Akuffo-Addo also said he was delighted at the many projects being undertaken by GNPC across the country, which include classroom blocks, science laboratories, dormitories, dining hall facilities, furniture, markets, sanitary facilities, artificial playing fields, boreholes for potable water, health facilities, among others.
The President again said he found it pleasing that GNPC is focused on capacity building through the award of scholarships, research funding for universities and training of artisans, and is
“Particularly delighted that the GNPC Foundation is supporting training for masons, mechanics, carpenters, electricians, hairdressers, dressmakers. to enable them obtain certification through the National Vocational Training Institute.”
GNPC Board Chairman, Mr. Blay, welcoming the President to the site said, the decision to relocate GNPC’s operational head office to Takoradi was in fulfilment of the President’s manifesto pledge made in 2016 and his vision to restore and enhance GNPC’s presence in the Western Region.
He said,
“Further to the President’s pledge, the GNPC Board took a decision to establish the GNPC Foundation in Takoradi to spearhead Corporate Social Investment initiatives. A deliberate strategy to ensure that even though the Foundation has a national scope, the socio-economic, educational, and training needs of the people of the Western region received special focus.”
He then explained that the project experienced delays because of Covid-19 and the one-and-a-half years it took to secure the land.
He thanked the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Darko-Mensah, who is also Member of Parliament for Takoradi Constituency, and the Lands Commission for their tremendous assistance in securing the land for the project and assured the President that, once the project is completed, GNPC staff will move in to begin work.
The President was supported in cutting the sod by the Board Chairman of GNPC, Mr. Freddie Blay, President of the Western Region House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, who is also a board member of GNPC, Western Region Minister, Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah and a Deputy Chief Executive of GNPC for Technical Operations, Mr. Opoku Danquah.
The $25 Million Operational Head Office
The 7-storey modern office complex would be situated on a plot area of 11,680m2 and spans about 7,035 square metres. It will have a 300-seater auditorium, a gymnasium, a cafeteria and a business centre on the ground floor. The upper floors will provide office space for GNPC and potential tenants, especially in the oil and gas value chain.
The office is to be a smart building that integrates the most advanced building management system to achieve LEED Certification, a standard that measures building qualities to assess their compliance with an ‘all-in-one’ address of energy efficiency, water conservation, site selection, material selection, day lighting and waste reduction.
