KENZO MUST GO! Pressure Mounts on Mahama to Remove NPP’s Kenzo as VRA CEO

By Gifty Boateng

Accusations of incompetence and questionable conduct have intensified pressure on President Mahama to remove Ing. Edward Ekow Obeng Kenzo from his role as the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Volta River Authority (VRA).

The appointment of Kenzo has sparked objections from various groups, including The New Voter Forum, who have called for immediate revocation of the decision.

The opposition towards his removal has found space on the premises of VRA in the Eastern Region, where it has been dotted with banners bearing inscriptions such as “Ing. Edward Ekow Obeng Kenzo Must Go. President Mahama and NDC must not make that mistake.”

Another group calling itself the Grassroots of the NDC, alongside some VRA staff, have been vocal in its opposition to Kenzo’s appointment putting pressure on the president to remove him.

The concerns come in the wake of similar resistance to the appointment of the new Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner-General Anthony, Sarpong and a few others.

The Forum maintain the president’s agenda to reset Ghana, including the VRA, will suffer a huge blow if the acting CEO’s appointment is allowed to stand, stressing “This singular appointment is demoralizing the base of the NDC and must be revoked immediately without any further delay”.

They labelled the embattled acting CEO as a “bully, very vindictive, and grossly incompetent and threatens staff at the least provocation”.

At a press conference in Accra to express their regret at the appointment, the group levelled several allegations accusing him of being behind the VRA’s unprecedented water spillage in 2023, which displaced hundreds of people and destroyed several properties in about four regions, with no compensations paid as at now.

They also claimed, who until his elevation was the deputy CEO in-charge of engineering and operations, was involved in several procurement infractions and a strong member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), who was used to perpetuate so many wrongs against staff and the Authority.

According to the group the issue of Ing Kenzo being a dyed-in-the-wool member of the NPP is an open secret, until recently he tried to secure an NDC membership card at the Madina Zongo branch of the party, when he is known to vote in the Shama constituency of the Western Region.

They lamented that Ing. Kenzo, worked alongside with his predecessor to champion the agenda of the NPP, and made working at VRA almost impossible for perceived NDC members.

“It is on record that Ing. Kenzo as part of the Management Staff and working closely with the immediate past chief Executive, Ing. Antwi Darkwa, championed the NPP agenda and made things very difficult if not impossible for the progression and freedom of staff who are perceived within VRA as NDC members.

The fact is this election was fought bravely and won with the toil of dedicated and progressive citizens. Our question therefore to Mr. President is, what is the purpose of appointing a known leading member of the NPP, at the expense of qualified and unapologetic NDC members?”

The embattled acting CEO also allegedly participated in the late recruitments by the Akufo-Addo government, which the new administration had warned heads of institutions to desist or be punished. Allegedly, he was also involved in many shady and conflict of interest cases at Tema Thermal Complex.

“It is an open secret that he actively participated in the late recruitment of NPP foot soldiers into the authority, without due process in the months of November and December 2024. This even includes his niece who just completed national service at the VRA office in Akosombo.

We know of his god-mother in the NPP party and benefactors who are doing his bidding. At the appropriate time, those names would come out.

Suffice to say that Mr. Kenzo has been involved in some suspected shady and conflict of interest deals at the Tema Thermal Complex in collusion with the local representatives of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)”.

One of the accusations they mounted was that, he is behind several procurement infractions costing the VRA millions of dollars “including a $52 million sole sourcing expose by some media outlets.”

They therefore called on the president to immediately launch an investigations into the procurement of spare parts and works involving IDC Energy Ltd, Fosap Logistics, Syhno Hydro at VRA in the past six (6) years.

“We believe the revelations will be mind boggling. As we speak, Ing. Kenzo is said to have supervised the procurement of major spare parts at highly inflated prices at the Takoradi Thermal Power Station, many of which are dysfunctional. While some of the parts, such as the steam Turbine rotor bearing, cannot be used, it was nonetheless procured at about seven times what it should have cost.

Another is the condenser for the steam turbine which will not be needed for the next 10 years. We have just picked up intelligence that the cost of the proposed repowering of the T3 plant in Takoradi has been inflated and now stands at $70million, when the initial cost was under $15 million, using some of the Ameri plants.

This is what he has been dangling before the “appointing authorities” and they are seriously doing his bidding.

He is said to be benefiting by awarding a $19 million single sourced contract to Syhno Hydro for the repair works on the base of the Akosombo Dam, when it could have been done for far less through a competitive bidding process”.

It has also emerged that majority of the staff, some of whom are also middle class and campaigned for the NDC, do not want see Ing Kenzo as the acting or substantive CEO and are disgruntled following the appointment.

In their view, elevating him to this highest position will mean that all the wrongs that were recorded under the previous administration which he was involved in is going to be swept under the carpet.

“We can say on authority that the majority of the staff of VRA will not want to see Ing. Kenzo at the helm of affairs. The VRA is sitting on a time bomb and it could go off at any time soon. This could prove costly. His desire to be the CEO is to cover the tracts and tracks of his and that of his former boss Ing. Antwi Darkwa and the plunder the resources of the VRA further to their parochial interests.

When the NDC party won power, it came as a big relief to the members of staff perceived as NDC members, but that hope has since fizzled into thin air with the purported appointment of Ing Kenzo”.

In light of mounting opposition and accusations of malpractice, the fate of Kenzo as the VRA CEO hangs in the balance, as calls for his removal continue to intensify.

President Mahama faces a pivotal decision in determining the future direction of the VRA and addressing the grievances of those calling for accountability and transparency within the organization.