In
October last year, police busted security supervisor with Jidem Security
Services, Stephen Nana Nketia and four members of an alleged oil- siphoning
gang.
They
were arrested during an operation to steal 24 drums of petroleum products at
the depot, after switching off the CCTV system to break into a secured valve.
The
latest incident occurred Monday dawn when thieves broke into the depot.
The
tanker drivers, who lift fuel from the depot, are not enthused at the posture
of BOST authorities to tackle the security lapses at the facility.
A
leader of the tanker drivers union, Kwabena Ebo, says there have been several
discussions with management of the BOST to review its contract with the private
security firm.
“We
don’t need the Jidem Security again because their continuous engagement will not
abate the spate of theft which has been going on for a long time,” he stated.
Luv
News sources say depot managers are often blamed for shortages in collation and
tallying of sales figures.
According
to Ebo, the losses incurred at the depot will not be curtailed with the present
security operatives at post.
The BOST facility in Kumasi holds a maximum
capacity of 84 million barrels of petrol and diesel to serve the Ashanti, Brong
Ahafo and parts of the Western Regions.
Depot
Manager, Nicholas Yaw Samari, has suggested an oversight support by national
security apparatus to augment the operations of private security firm “in order
to protect the national asset”.
The
management of BOST will not react to the drivers’ calls for a review of its
contract with Jidem Security, because of an ongoing court hearing of the theft involving
Stephen Nketia.
“We
are currently upgrading our systems at the depot to make sure that we withstand
or defeat some of these unnecessary going on regarding security,” stated Nat
Acheampong, Corporate Communications Manager at BOST.
Story
by Kofi Adu Domfeh
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