The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Hon. Eric Edem Agbana, has fiercely dismissed claims by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regarding some ECG’s missing containers at the Tema Port.
In a strongly worded statement, Hon. Agbana accused the NPP of distorting facts to mislead the public and cover up their own administrative failures.
“During the transition period, the outgone NPP administration claimed that approximately 3,000 ECG containers were stuck at Tema Harbour due to clearance issues.
“However, after we took office, an official visit to the harbour by the Minister of Energy revealed a different figure of 2,500 containers, accumulating a shocking demurrage cost of GHS 1.5 billion.”
Eric Edem Agbana, NDC MP for Ketu North Constituency
Hon. Agbana, who doubles as a member of the Public Accounts Committee, further pointed out that the minister did not claim to have personally counted the containers but rather presented the figure as given to him by port authorities.
This discrepancy of 500 containers, according to Hon. Agbana, immediately raised red flags, prompting further investigation into the actual number of containers present and those allegedly missing.
The Investigation and Revelations
Following these inconsistencies, the Minister of Energy swiftly commissioned an investigative committee to ascertain the true status of the containers.
According to the Ketu North MP, the committee’s findings were alarming, asserting that over 1,300 containers were unaccounted for, a stark contrast to the figures provided in the NPP’s transition notes.
According to Hon. Agbana, the evidence clearly indicates that the NPP’s claims were riddled with inconsistencies and falsehoods.
The MP emphasized that the missing containers were a direct consequence of mismanagement during the NPP’s tenure, and any attempts to shift blame to the NDC were deliberate acts of misinformation.
“Yet, in a desperate attempt to twist the facts, NPP foot soldiers and apparatchiks have somehow convinced themselves that these containers went missing under the NDC government. No logic, no matter how warped, can justify such a ridiculous claim”.
Eric Edem Agbana, NDC MP for Ketu North Constituency
Hon. Agbana, in his rebuttal, condemned what he termed as the “ridiculous” logic being peddled by NPP supporters, who have chosen to turn the issue into a laughing matter rather than a serious governance concern.
He expressed frustration over how critical issues of national accountability are often trivialized in Ghanaian political discourse, reducing serious infractions to mere political banter.
The Cost of the Missing Containers
Beyond the numerical discrepancies, the financial implications of this debacle are staggering. The accumulated demurrage cost associated with the stranded containers stands at a whopping GHS 1.5 billion.
This financial burden, which should have been avoided through proper clearance procedures, now falls on the shoulders of the new administration.
Hon. Agbana stressed that the country must move beyond the blame game and focus on retrieving the missing containers while holding those responsible accountable.
He assured Ghanaians that investigations will continue, and the final report will expose those complicit in the apparent mismanagement of ECG’s consignments.
The MP’s frustration with the NPP’s approach is rooted in what he describes as a larger trend of misinformation aimed at discrediting the NDC’s efforts to clean up the mess left behind.
He urged the public to be discerning in evaluating political narratives and not fall for attempts to rewrite history. “The gullible ones can continue sharing the ‘flying’ container jokes, but they will soon discover they are mocking themselves,” Hon. Agbana stated.
His remarks serve as both a warning and a challenge to Ghanaians to demand transparency and accountability rather than allowing political spin to cloud the facts.
As the investigations continue, Hon. Agbana reaffirmed his commitment, alongside the NDC government, to uncovering the full truth behind the missing containers.
He assured that necessary steps would be taken to hold accountable any individuals or institutions found culpable in the mismanagement and loss of state assets.
