The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has taken strong issue with the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, disputing claims that the Mahama administration was responsible for the successful declaration of commerciality in the Eban-Akoma petroleum discoveries.
The NPP’s Minority Caucus described the statement as a “failed attempt” by the Mahama-led administration to appropriate achievements spearheaded under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government.
“It is disingenuous for the Ministry to suggest that the declaration of commerciality was due to efforts by the Mahama administration.
“These discoveries and the approval of the appraisal programme were initiated years before the current government took office.”
NPP’s Minority Caucus in Parliament
This comes after the Ministry, led by Hon. John Abdulai Jinapor, issued a press statement celebrating the declaration as a testament to the current government’s commitment to sustainable energy development, transparency, and investor confidence.
The Minorty Caucus noted that Eni Ghana, operating under a contract approved during the Akufo-Addo–Bawumia administration, drilled the Akoma-1X well in 2019 within Cape Three Points Block 4.
This well, declared a gas and condensate discovery on May 9, 2019, signaled additional upside that required further appraisal.
Two years later, on July 6, 2021, Eni announced the Eban-1X discovery, marking its second major find in the same block. Both announcements were made public via press releases on Eni’s corporate website.
These discoveries, the Minority pointed out, were part of a strategic reserve-replacement initiative under the NPP.
The Akoma and Eban finds fall into the same Cape Three Points Block 4 petroleum agreement, and formal notices of discovery were duly filed with the Ministry of Energy, the Petroleum Commission, and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) at that time.
Appraisal Approved Under Akufo-Addo-Bawumia
Significantly, under the NPP administration, Eni submitted a consolidated appraisal plan for both the Akoma and Eban discoveries.
Approved on July 28, 2022, this joint appraisal avoided duplicative costs and accelerated the evaluation process.
The Minority asserted that this initiative, “not the Mahama administration’s work, triggered the Eban-Akoma field’s development readiness.”
Confirming the outcomes of these appraisals, Eni recently informed the current government that the discoveries meet the threshold of commercial viability.
As stipulated in the Cape Three Points agreement, Eni also signaled its intention to submit a Plan of Development. Thus, the NPP contended, the “statement of commerciality” is not a breakthrough morning achievement but a procedural update from the contractor to the state.
“How can the Mahama administration suddenly claim credit for a discovery they neither drilled nor appraised?”
NPP’s Minority Caucus in Parliament
The Minority added that upstream development is a long-term endeavor requiring careful planning and execution.
“What is being celebrated is merely Eni fulfilling its contractual obligations, not a visionary policy triumph from an administration just seven months in office.”
NPP’s Minority Caucus in Parliament
Citing NPP Government’s Track Record
The Mnority Caucus stressed that between 2018 and 2022, under NPP governance, a total of seven oil discoveries were made from six drilled wells.
These include Pecan South East (10 million barrels), Nyankom-1X (168 million barrels), Afina-1X (150–300 million barrels), Akoma-1X and Eban-1X as part of the Eban-Akoma Complex, and Aprokuma-1X, which yielded two separate discoveries.
This remarkable pace of discovery, the Minority argued, cannot be detached from the upstream policies instituted by the Kufuor-Aliu Mahama and reenergized by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administrations.
“Let the Mahama administration take note that these 7 discoveries cannot be ‘appropriated’ by it as having occurred under its watch.”
NPP’s Minority Caucus in Parliament
Further, the NPP underscored its solid record in upstream petroleum sector reform, spotlighting the reforms initiated from 2007 onward and cemented by the historic block and reserve replacements under their watch.
At the heart of this dispute lies a fundamental question of political integrity. The NPP accuses the Ministry of greenwashing its record by retroactively claiming credit for policies, wells, appraisal strategies, and discoveries enacted long before the current administration assumed office.
The timing of the statement, just seven months into the new administration reinforces their contention that political self-promotion is at play, rather than a factual recounting of sectoral development.
As such, the NPP urged the Ministry to commit to factual accuracy and honor the historical record in its upcoming public communications.
President Mahama’s tenure, the Minority conceded, may evolve with fresh achievements. Yet they maintained that integrity demands transparent attribution of foundational work.
The NPP encouraged the current administration to channel its energy into launching its own gas exploration initiatives, negotiate robust development terms, and sustainably expand Ghana’s reserves rather than claiming past triumphs.
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