islamabad - Caretaker petroleum minister Suhail Wajahat Siddiqi on Thursday said that due to involvement in gas theft, natural gas supply to the captive power plants is suspended while gas provision on loan to the KESC is also stopped and a ban is also imposed on issuing new gas connections.
This he said while addressing a media briefing here in the premises of petroleum and natural resources ministry. He said that finance ministry would pay the payments of furnace oil through tariff subsidy and supply of natural gas to Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) on loan has been suspended owing to heavy Rs27 billion outstanding dues pending with the power company. He also warned the company that ‘if the KESC do not pay Rs27 billion immediately then gas supply would be stopped and KESCO would have to pay its dues on daily basis.
About a list of SSGCL’s defaulters, Siddiqi made it clear that if anyone attempted to conceal the facts in defaulter’s list, then person (SSGCL official) would be removed from his or her job.
During the course of this press conference, the caretaker petroleum minister Suhail Wajahat Siddiqi has tried his level best to dispel the impression that prevailed after the removal of OGDCL MD Masood Siddiqi by him. He said his removal was purely on the basis of professional differences instead of personal grudges, which the outgoing MD had raised in his charge sheet submitted to the board of directors (BoD) of OGDCL.
However, available copy of charge sheet with a subject ‘conduct unbecoming of the minister of petroleum Suhail Wajahat Siddiqi’ submitted by Ex-MD, OGDCL to the company’s BoD disclosed that the minister had mistreated, insulted and ridiculed the MD in front of company’s employees and publicly as well. The petroleum minister had also interfered into the day-to-day affairs of the company to the detriment of the company and ‘through his PA he has more than once issued direct verbal instructions to my subordinates’.
“The company is governed by the Board of Directors which is the competent authority and the Secretary Petroleum is one of the directors. The appropriate approach for him is to seek information and or instructions to the board of directors in writing through secretary of Petroleum. As I have obstructed his illegal activities he has chosen to get me fired. Disruptions by him is negatively affecting the discipline of the company and deterioration of the company environment in general,” the charge sheet reads.
Sharing details, outgoing MD in his plea to the company’s board alleged that in one instance they were instructed to purchase furniture worth Rs 250,000 for his use to be selected by his wife. On finding out, I advised him that since he is not entitled for such things from the company, I instructed my staff to retrieve and return such furniture to the shop it was purchased from. When my staff tried to retrieve the furniture they were told off,” the charge sheet said, adding, “On another occasion he instructed the company lawyer by-passing me completely to come see him and bring along confidential bidding documents of various tenders with him.”
Ex-MD, OGDCL also blamed in his charge sheet that the minister had been taking unusual interest in all procurement cases of the company in the garb of perhaps mishandling of such cases by the OGDCL employees. He also raised in his sheet that in verbal discussions with him (the minister), I have advised him more than once that in all such cases OGDCL has followed all company procedures and obtained all necessary approvals from the board, which is the competent authority. Yet he continued to enquire and accuse in so many words. On another occasion he verbally instructed me to prepare a five-year plan for the company and bring along all senior management for this presentation to the ministry. As soon as the presentation was started, instead of listening to the presentation he started to insinuate that all employees of OGDCL are corrupt. All of these events and many more are creating duress on my co-workers and myself and are resulting in demoralisation of staff and officers thus negatively affecting their efficiency.
I am a petroleum engineer by degree and have over 25 years of experience in this field in some of the world’s largest multinational oil and gas companies. Never before in my service have I been mistreated like I am being at this time. In light of the above, the working environment has become extremely difficult for my coworkers and me.
I was unable to discharge my duties as the MD of OGDC in an efficient and diligent manner, Masood Siddiqi deplored.