Dr Steve Manteaw, Chairman of the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas, has denied allegations that he secretly recorded a meeting held by some Civil Society Organization (CSOs) in relation to the planned acquisition of stakes in Aker Energy and AGM Petroleum Ghana oil blocks by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

Addressing the allegation, Dr Manteaw categorically denied the accusations and stated that he was not part of the meeting held by the CSOs, hence it was not possible for him to have recorded and leaked to the media.

However, Dr Manteaw admitted that he has a strong disagreement with the position taken by the CSOs on the agreement, that notwithstanding, “that’s why I chose not to attend the meeting. They are being disingenuous and unfair to me.”

He also added that if he were to go to the said meeting, his views were not going to have any effect because he is the only person who has openly disagreed with his colleague CSOs on the matter.

“Because of the divergent position I hold, I did not attend the meeting the CSOs organized which recording has been leaked and therefore couldn’t be the one who leaked that recording. So those calling me names and describing me as a mole are being disingenuous and unfair to me.”
Dr Manteaw

Early on, the Executive Director of the African Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), Benjamin Boakye, accused Dr Manteaw of lacking principles for openly expressing his dissenting position on the deal.

According Mr Boakye, the decision by Dr Manteaw to go public with his comment, to rather informing his colleague CSO activists in the meetings they had, is a betrayal.

“On Dr Manteaw, the Group felt his open disagreement with the Group was not principled because he had the opportunity to do so as part of the Group. He didn’t do it but lent his Organization to support the statement.

“Then turn around to oppose the Group publicly on radio programs. What is worse is that Dr Manteaw was introduced on those stations as the Chairman of the Group, Alliance of CSOs working on Extractives, Anti-Corruption and Good Governance, when there’s no such title in the Group. We offered to give him a hearing to understand why he disagreed somewhat in public without discussing with the Group. But he did not show up.”
Mr Boakye

Mr Boakye further stated that “it is clear that the national interest is to expose how Aker energy is scheming to sell its stake in Ghana and manage to stay on as an operator to milk the country.”

He therefore, called on all stakeholders to focus on the specifics.

“ If anyone has energy, bring on the debate on the merits of the transaction. Sensationalism and sponsoring disagreements in the Group won’t deter those who understand the threat of the agreement to the country from focusing on the issues.”
Mr Boakye

Meanwhile, the fact of the discussion is that, GNPC through its GNPC Explorco, is allowed to participate in the upstream petroleum sector. It plans to purchase a 70 percent stake in the South Deep Water Tano (SDWT) operated by AGM Petroleum Ghana Limited and a 37 percent stake in the Deep Water Tano/Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) operated by Aker Energy Ghana Limited.