Members of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) have elected Richard Ellimah, a Natural Resource Governance Analyst and Community Activist, as Chair to serve a one-year term from November 2025 to November 2026.
Ellimah, who represents Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) on the committee, was elected during a meeting on Wednesday, November 12. He succeeds Constantine Kudzedzi, Esquire.
After his election, Ellimah expressed gratitude to members for their confidence and pledged to build on foundations laid by his predecessors. He committed to fulfilling PIAC’s mandate of promoting transparency and accountability in managing and using petroleum revenues.
The new Chair brings nearly two decades of civil society experience, particularly in Ghana’s natural resource sector. His background includes work as a Community Activist, Development Planner, and Natural Resource Governance Analyst.
At the same meeting, Edward Yaw Afriyie, a Biomedical Scientist, was elected Vice Chairperson for a one-year term. Afriyie represents the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI). He takes over from Odeefuo Amoakwa Boadu VIII.
The elections followed the swearing in of five PIAC members on Tuesday, November 11. Samuel Arkhurst, Coordinating Director (Technical) at the Ministry of Finance, administered the oaths on behalf of the Finance Minister.
The newly sworn members include Christopher Opoku Nyarko from the Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), Sena Dake from the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), and Zamboanga Rufai Saminu from the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA). Veronica Adigbo represents the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), while Nana Soglo Alloh IV represents the National House of Chiefs.
PIAC was established under Section 51 of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) of 2011. The committee’s mandate includes monitoring and evaluating compliance with the Act, providing platforms for public debate on spending priorities, and offering independent assessments to Parliament and the Executive.
The committee commenced work on September 15, 2011, following its inauguration. Since then, it has published 27 statutory reports, including 13 annual and 14 semi-annual assessments on petroleum revenue management.
Ellimah’s election comes at a challenging period for the oversight body. In March, Parliament passed the Petroleum Revenue Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1138), which removed PIAC’s dedicated funding from petroleum revenues. The committee’s 2025 budget was reduced to 4.6 million Ghana cedis, representing only 21.43 percent of its annual budget requirements.
The funding constraints have significantly limited PIAC’s operations. The committee conducted only one regional engagement and two project inspections during the first seven months of 2025, falling short of its target of 64 annual inspections. Numerous planned public outreach activities, including media engagements on the 2024 annual report, have been suspended.
Earlier this month, PIAC raised concerns after being excluded from consultations on proposed amendments to the PRMA ahead of the 2026 budget. Ellimah described the exclusion as unfortunate, noting that PIAC has worked on all aspects of petroleum revenue management since its establishment.
Ghana earned 370.3 million US dollars in petroleum revenue during the first half of 2025, according to PIAC’s latest semi-annual report. This represented a 56 percent decline from 840.77 million dollars recorded in the same period of 2024, attributed to lower crude oil production and declining global oil prices.
The committee warned that Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry has experienced declining crude oil production for five consecutive years while facing investment challenges. PIAC has recommended that Parliament ensure the Ministry of Energy and allied agencies increase efforts to secure investments for the sector.
PIAC operates through representatives from 13 member institutions across Ghanaian society. Members serve either two-year renewable or three-year non-renewable terms, ensuring balanced representation and expertise in petroleum revenue oversight.
The new leadership faces the task of navigating operational challenges while maintaining the committee’s role in ensuring transparent and accountable use of Ghana’s petroleum revenues.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
