A critical pillar of the turnaround at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is not only infrastructure rehabilitation but a deliberate effort to rebuild workforce confidence and reshape institutional culture.
Managing Director, Edmund Kombat disclosed this during a visit by members of the Africa Extractives Media Fellowship (AEMF), who toured the facility recently under the auspices of Newswire Africa with support from the Australian High Commission in Ghana.
He explained that restoring staff morale became an immediate priority when the new management team assumed office in May 2025.
According to Mr Kombat, prolonged operational shutdowns, unpaid benefits and stalled career progression had fractured the workforce and led to the departure of experienced technical personnel.
“When we arrived, staff confidence was extremely low. People had lost hope in the refinery. We realised that before anything else, we had to rebuild trust,” he said.
In response, management rolled out a series of internal reforms aimed at addressing longstanding grievances and restoring industrial harmony.
These included a comprehensive review of employee petitions, leading to the promotion of more than 215 staff, alongside salary adjustments and improved welfare packages for contract workers.
Mr Kombat noted that efforts were also made to unify previously divided labour groups, fostering a more cohesive and collaborative working environment.
Regular staff engagement sessions have since been introduced to strengthen communication between management and employees, while logistical support—including staff buses and operational vehicles—has been provided to improve mobility and efficiency.
“These interventions were necessary to restore a sense of belonging and commitment among workers,” he explained.
The Managing Director emphasised that the refinery’s revival has been powered largely by the dedication and expertise of local engineers and technicians.
He indicated that TOR intentionally relied on its in-house technical teams to lead the rehabilitation of critical units such as the Crude Distillation Unit, rather than depending heavily on foreign contractors.
“Our own workers assessed the systems and brought the refinery back online. That is something we are very proud of,” he said.
To sustain this momentum, the refinery has also launched targeted training programmes aimed at grooming a new generation of technical professionals to replace an ageing workforce.
Mr Kombat revealed that about 400 temporary and permanent staff have been engaged, while structured mentorship initiatives are facilitating knowledge transfer within the organisation.
He said the broader vision is to reposition TOR as a hub of technical excellence within Ghana’s petroleum sector.
The Managing Director emphasized that improving working conditions and restoring professional pride remain central to the refinery’s transformation agenda.
According to him, the renewed sense of purpose among staff is already evident in the operational gains recorded across the facility.
“Confidence has returned. The atmosphere has changed, and people are now focused on getting the refinery back to where it belongs,” he said.
Mr Kombat added that management remains committed to consolidating these reforms to ensure long-term productivity and stability.
Industry observers believe that the emphasis on workforce revitalisation could prove decisive in sustaining TOR’s recovery, particularly as the refinery scales up production and modernises its infrastructure.
By: Christian Kpesese/www.naturalresourcesnews.com
