Power crisis: Energy Ministry fires back at Minority

The Ministry of Energy has responded to claims made by the Minority at a press conference held in Parliament on Wednesday, April 28.

Led by Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee John Jinapor, who is a former Deputy Minister of Power, the Minority accused government of inconsistency in timelines to end the power crisis.

“As if that was not enough, the ECG, Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) and the Hon. Minster have been providing conflicting timelines on when this debilitating power crisis will be resolved,” the Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency told journalists.

“What is even more disturbing is despite confirmation from GRIDCo a couple of weeks ago that the country will continue to experience these power outages into the foreseeable future for which reason they promised to publish a load management schedule, the anticipated schedule has since been put on hold due to political pressure from the executive.”

But in its response on Thursday, April 29, the Energy Ministry rejected this outright.

“The Ministry rejects the Minority in Parliament’s assertion that different timelines have been given from different outfits in respect of the schedule of works.

“It is false,” it stressed.

It indicated that by the end of 2021 all the projects – Pokuase Bulk Supply Point, Kasoa Bulk Supply Point and Tema to Achimota Line Rehabilitation – would have come to fruition “and the power situation would have been resolved”.

“These different conclusion dates for the various projects cannot by any stretch of the imagination be construed to mean that different and contradictory dates have been issued on when the power situation would be resolved.”

The Ministry assured Ghanaians that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s vision for the power sub-sector is safe, dependable and affordable power “to bring relief to Ghanaians and also to serve as a solid base for industrialised economy”.

“The Ministry of Energy, in furtherance of this vision, is working hard to bring it into fruition and remains focused on delivering this important mandate.”