The West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) has assured of reliable gas supply in the country even in the face of the disruption caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.
While the gas supplier admitted to challenges being encountered in moving technical staff from one place to the other, it said it has put in place measures that that will ensure that the spread of the virus does not impact negatively on its operations.
“WAPCo earlier implemented its business continuity plan in order to protect workers and their families and quickly mobilise efforts to prevent the virus from impacting our operations and so far, we have had zero reported case within our workforce in Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana.
We have complied with all government directives in all those states in terms of lockdown of workers who are non-essential, while working with governments to identify those who are critical,” WAPCo’s Managing Director, Gregory Germani, told the B&FT in Accra.
Mr. Germani spoke on the side-lines of a donation of medical and sanitary items to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and reiterated his outfit’s commitment to fulfilling its long-term mandate of supplying gas to power generators and other clients in the country, despite the global economic crisis caused by COVID-19.
Asked if the virus has caused any disruption to the company supply chain, Mr. Germani responded in the negative, saying: “So far it is just being the technical aspect – getting people in for key projects, but we have managed to work by having those people communicate over phone, through virtual meetings to provide the necessary guidance. We have not seen yet any impact on critical supplies but that could become more challenging as this prolongs.”
“We have had challenges in getting specialised workers in for some of the projects that we are doing as well as a little bit of challenges in getting people across countries to do critical maintenance work, but we are working through that to maintain the integrity of the system and the reliability of gas supply to our key customers,” he said.
He also stated that the company is working closely with the Ministry of Energy to maintain supply of gas, as well as with partners including the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, to forestall any unforeseen circumstances that may come about as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
WAPCo’s main mandate is to transport natural gas from Nigeria to customers in Benin, Togo and Ghana in a safe, responsible and reliable manner, at prices competitive with other fuel alternatives.
Donation
The items donated to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital include: medical/surgical face masks, N95 face masks, examination gloves, coveralls, disposable protective gowns, tissue paper, and hand sanitizers all valued at GH¢252,000. The gesture forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility and is intended to aid the hospitality’s fight against COVID-19.
