A presbyter of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church Ghana has called on its General Assembly Executive Council to urgently establish a clear and formal ownership framework for its bottled water subsidiary, Prime Natural Mineral Drinking Water Limited, as debates over governance and stewardship continue within the Church.
Mr Ernest Gbesemete, Esq., made the appeal in a press statement responding to ongoing discussions around alleged ownership disputes, conflict-of-interest concerns, and remuneration issues involving some senior officials linked to the Church’s commercial and development arms.
He proposed that the Church undertake a comprehensive legal and governance review to clearly define the shareholding structure of the company and any other Church-owned enterprises, stressing the need to eliminate ambiguity over beneficial ownership.
According to him, individual shares currently held in trust should be formally regularised through declarations of trust and shareholder agreements that explicitly recognise the Church as the ultimate owner of the enterprise.
Mr Gbesemete further suggested the creation of an overarching investment holding entity to manage all present and future Church-owned businesses, ensuring continuity and institutional control beyond individual officeholders.
He argued that such reforms would safeguard Church assets from future disputes while also protecting officials from allegations of personal ownership or self-enrichment.
He also recommended stronger governance mechanisms, including independent boards for subsidiaries, professional management structures, and dedicated audit and risk committees to improve accountability and oversight.
While acknowledging the Church’s response that allegations must be evidence-based, he said the broader issue highlighted the need for stronger institutional safeguards rather than reliance on individual integrity alone.
Mr Gbesemete maintained that the current debate should be seen not as a crisis but as an opportunity to strengthen governance systems and reinforce transparency in Church-owned commercial ventures.
