Bawumia lied on electricity extension in Bole District - MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bole- Bamboi Constituency Alhaji Yusif Sulemana has said that it is not true that there is an “ongoing Extension of Electricity at Chibrinyoa in Bole District” of the Savannah Region as said by the Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

Dr Dawumia made the assertion during his lecture last week to outdoor government’s infrastructure record and as well outdoor a website which captures government’s infrastructure projects across the country and their state of completion.

Speaking on the morning show of Bole based Nkilgi FM on 27th August, 2020, the Bole MP said; “The Minister of Energy Mr John Peter Amewu in answering my question on the extension of electricity to Chibriyoa and its surrounding communities was categorical. He said no any ongoing electrification works at Chibriyoa. Dr. Bawumia now comes to tell us there is an ongoing electrification works at Chibriyoa and so it is another big lie”.

The MP for Bole-Bamboi Constituency said he has supported his comments on the issue with a video of proceedings on the floor of Ghana’s Parliament on 6th August, 2020 when the Minister of Energy was asked when the national electricity grid will be extended to Babato, Chibrinyoa Dugli, Bampewa, Agbadago and Tambang all in the Bole District.

The MP said the Minister answered the question and stated; “The communities
Babato, Chibrinyoa Dugli, Bampewa, Agbadago and Tambang do not form part of any of the ongoing projects currently being executed by the Ministry of Energy”.

According to the MP the Energy minister further said; the “Communities have been noted and would be considered in subsequent face of the electrification project.

Giving further details of the issue, the Bole MP said the electricification project at Chibriyoa and other communities on the Bamboi to Babato road started in 2007 by the NPP government under JA Kufour and was continued by the NDC government under John Evan Atta Mills and that the main lines were extended to as far as Babato which ends the communities on that stretch of road.

Alhaji Yusif Sulemana said for some reasons the contactor left site and some of the main poles got burnt and that the Contactor returned to site but wanted government to recost the project.

Alhaji Yusif said the MP he succeeded assisted with poles for the project to continue but the project was not completed when NDC left power.

“As the sitting MP I took it up, went to the ministry several times and was promised the work will be completed. It was at my last visit that I was told the ministry has no plans to complete the work. I decided to bring this to public notice henced asked the minister a question on the floor of parliament on when the project will be completed; the MP said on Nkilgi FM.

The Bole MP also said the answer of the Minister on 6th August, 2020 was emphatic that there is no any ongoing electrification works at Chibriyoa.

“Surprisingly, Dr. Bawumia two weeks later reported to the whole world that work was on going at Chibriyoa. I called the assemblyman to verify Dr. Bawumia’s claim and it turned out that no such work is on going”; Alhaji Yusif disclosed.