The Minority in Parliament has pushed back against suggestions that the latest commercial declaration of Ghana’s Eban-Akoma oil block should be attributed to the John Mahama administration, insisting the credit rightly belongs to the former Akufo-Addo government.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Accra on Monday, July 7, 2025, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, Collins Adomako-Mensah, dismissed the claims as a deliberate distortion of the facts for political gain.
According to him, the discoveries at ENI’s Akoma and Eban fields were made during the tenure of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, under the direct supervision and policy leadership of former President Akufo-Addo.
“What has taken place is simply a reporting obligation by the contractor, following an appraisal programme that was approved long before this government took office,” Mr. Adomako-Mensah stated. “It is misleading for the Mahama administration to take credit for something it had no role in initiating.”
He explained that ENI drilled the Akoma-1X well in the Cape Three Points Block 4 in 2019, announcing a significant gas and condensate discovery on May 9 of that year. A second major find, the Eban-1X well, was discovered and confirmed on July 6, 2021. He added that in July 2022, the Akufo-Addo administration approved a joint appraisal strategy for both wells — a move he said fast-tracked the path to commercial declaration while reducing development costs.
The final declaration of commerciality was officially submitted on July 3, 2025, by joint venture partners ENI Ghana Exploration & Production Ltd, Vitol Upstream Tano Ltd, Woodfields Upstream Ghana Ltd, and GNPC’s subsidiary, Explorco. This submission was made in coordination with the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.
In an earlier statement, Energy and Green Transition Minister John Abdulai Jinapor hailed the development as a significant boost for Ghana’s energy sector.
“The declaration of commerciality for the Eban-Akoma discoveries is a major boost to our oil and gas sector. It highlights the immense potential of our offshore resources to fuel economic transformation, improve energy security, and support Ghana’s industrialisation agenda,” Mr. Jinapor said.
Following the declaration, the Ministry is expected to oversee the submission of a Plan of Development (PoD) for the Eban-Akoma project. This plan will include measures to promote local participation and ensure efficient resource recovery in alignment with national energy policy.
However, Mr. Adomako-Mensah accused the Ministry of misrepresenting the timeline and origin of the project for political credit. He stressed that oil exploration and production work on a long-term schedule, often stretching over several administrations, and warned against rewriting history to suit partisan narratives.
He also highlighted that the Akufo-Addo era witnessed several similar discoveries, which were the result of consistent technical groundwork and responsible petroleum sector oversight. He argued that it was premature and inappropriate for a new administration with barely seven months in office to lay claim to processes they neither initiated nor advanced.
Responding to questions about investor confidence under the NPP, Adomako-Mensah refuted claims that the energy sector had become hostile to business during their tenure.
“If the conditions were not favourable, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” he said, citing ENI’s continued commitment and recent commercial declaration as clear evidence of a supportive operating environment.
He concluded by urging the current administration to focus on delivering its mandate and allow the facts to speak for themselves in due course.
Meanwhile, the commercial declaration of the Eban-Akoma field clears the way for full-scale development of the block, located off the Cape Three Points coast — a major step forward in Ghana’s ambition to strengthen its energy independence and drive industrial growth.
