Dr. Yussif Sulemana, Managing Director of Ghana’s state-owned Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), has been reassigned to the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition as a technical advisor, marking the latest leadership shift at the beleaguered refinery.
His deputy, Edmond Kombat, will assume the role of acting Managing Director effective immediately, according to official communications reviewed by this publication.
Sulemana’s tenure at TOR began in February 2025, when he succeeded Kofi Tagoe Mocumbi, who led the refinery under former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration. His reassignment after less than a year underscores persistent instability at TOR, which has cycled through multiple leaders amid repeated but unsuccessful attempts to revive its operations. The refinery, critical to Ghana’s energy security, has faced prolonged financial and operational challenges, drawing scrutiny from industry analysts and policymakers.
Kombat, previously deputy MD, now faces the immediate task of stabilizing TOR during its transition. His appointment comes as the government seeks to address longstanding inefficiencies at the facility, which has struggled to meet refining targets despite multiple intervention plans under successive administrations.
TOR’s woes have been a focal point of national discourse, with critics citing mismanagement and underinvestment as key factors behind its decline. Previous efforts to secure partnerships or loans to modernize infrastructure failed to yield sustainable results, leaving the refinery reliant on intermittent government support.
The leadership changes also reignite debates about institutional continuity in Ghana’s state-owned enterprises, where frequent managerial reshuffles often disrupt long-term strategic agendas. Analysts note that TOR’s challenges mirror broader systemic issues in public sector governance, where political appointments sometimes overshadow technical expertise. As Kombat steps into his interim role, stakeholders are calling for transparent, apolitical reforms to restore the refinery’s viability and reduce Ghana’s dependency on imported fuel.
