$150m Ghana Gas helicopters yet to be used after more than two years

Four helicopters belonging to Ghana Gas Company are yet to be used more than two years after they were bought for $150m.

Not one of the Z-9EH helicopters, manufactured in Chiana is yet to be used for the purpose of surveillance since it was commissioned by President John Mahama in September 2015.

"Since they were procured, they have never ever mounted a single surveillance operation," Dr Steve Manteaw, Chairman of Civil Society Platforms on Oil and Gas and a member of Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) said.

There is a helipad at Takoradi, which is 108km away from Atuabo. But the helicopters are stationed in Accra, 362km away.

This situation feeds Dr. Manteaw's view that the "helicopters may have been procured for purposes other than mounting surveillance".

It is a view which he said is based on confidential information that the helicopters were actually bought for the military, not Ghana Gas company.

"It looks like that might be some powerful hand that directed the purchase of the helicopters," he said and conjectured that it may have been procured so that someone might get a cut.

The aircraft was bought using a loan facility from the China Development Bank (CDB) which Ghana Gas is paying for.

Dr Steve Manteaw justified the need for helicopters for Ghana Gas Company arguing that the pipelines are highly inflammable. There is a need to monitor a large network of pipelines and gas infrastructure spread out offshore and onshore.

"That is a bomb sitting out there," Dr Manteaw said.

"A careless farming activity could light up the place more tragically than the Atomic Junction explosion last October, he pointed out.

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