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…As he grabs IET Leadership Honours
The Managing Director of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Edmond Kombat, has praised Ghanaian engineers for their pivotal role in national development, asserting that the country possesses the technical capacity needed to drive its industrial transformation.
He made the remarks at the 39th Annual General Meeting and Induction Ceremony of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), Ghana, where he was also honoured by the Institute for his leadership in reviving the nation’s only refinery.
Addressing executives, members and newly inducted engineers, Mr Kombat commended the IET for its sustained commitment to professional excellence, ethical standards and the advancement of engineering in Ghana.
He emphasised that engineering remained central to the country’s progress, noting:
“Our country’s industrial transformation — from energy security to manufacturing, infrastructure and digital innovation — relies heavily on the competence and integrity of engineers.”
Mr Kombat congratulated the inductees and urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and public service.
“Ghana needs engineers who are bold enough to innovate, ethical enough to uphold standards, and patriotic enough to use their skills to solve our most pressing challenges,” he said.
He outlined ongoing efforts at TOR to improve operational reliability and modernise the refinery, stressing that these gains were being achieved entirely through the expertise of Ghanaian professionals.
“All the turnaround maintenance works carried out at the refinery were executed by local engineers,” he confirmed.
He added that TOR’s historical challenges had never stemmed from technical shortcomings.
“TOR’s problems over the years have not been about the engineers, but rather a lack of effective leadership,” he stated.
The TOR MD expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Energy for their support.
“Mr President and the Minister have been supportive and have assured us of no interference,” he said.
In a special highlight of the ceremony, the IET presented Mr Kombat with a commemorative plaque recognising what it described as his “outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication” in bringing a dormant national asset back into productive operation.
The honour followed an official visit by the Institute in October 2025 to assess progress on TOR’s comprehensive turnaround maintenance programme. The delegation reported being impressed by the high level of expertise displayed by the refinery’s engineering team, many of whom are IET members.
According to the Institute, the visit reinforced confidence in Ghana’s engineering capabilities and affirmed TOR’s renewed operational direction under Mr Kombat’s leadership.
Expressing gratitude for the recognition, the TOR MD reiterated his firm belief in local talent.
“All the human capacity we need to transform Ghana is here,” he stressed, adding that strong, disciplined leadership remained essential to unlocking the nation’s full potential.
The post TOR Boss hails Ghanaian engineers for refinery’s recovery appeared first on The Herald ghana.
