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The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Ghana National Gas Company, Ernest Owusu Bempah has urged the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stop blaming the government on the current power outages.
His comment comes after the NDC organized Economic Forum on Thursday to react to the Town Hall Meeting organised by the government’s Economic Management Team.
Speaking at the NDC’s Economic Forum, the former Energy Minister under erstwhile John Mahama administration, John Jinapor blamed the NPP government for the current power outages.
But in statement signed by Ernest Owusu Bempah and copied to the media, he said “I personally find it quite comical to listen to the likes of John Jinapor blame the NPP government for driving the country into “Doom-Sor” when in fact, the government that he was part of actually plunged this country into 4-years of the energy crisis”.
He added “The growing dishonesty we see in Ghanaian politics is reminiscent of Ayi Kwei Armah’s “chichidodo” bird; a feathered hypocrite that that professes to hate excreta, yet feeds on maggots, which are bi-products of the very human waste it vehemently condemns and holds its breathe against its revolting stench”.
According to him, the current power outages can’t be linked to a financial crisis in the energy sector but it is as a result of the expansion and maintenance works currently ongoing at the Ghana Gas’ Takoradi Regulating and Metering Station in Western Region.
“…the NDC is peddling outright lies that the current difficulties we have are as a result of either financial challenges or mismanagement of the energy sector”.
He emphasized that “The current situation is due to the complete shutdown of GHANA Gas infrastructure to complete the tie in works to enable the reverse flow of gas from Takoradi to Tema. Again, stranded Sankofa gas in the West will be put to good use, powering thermal plants in the Tema enclave”.
He assured that “This is a very temporary measure that will not last beyond twelve days. In the interim, adequate measures have been put in place to ameliorate the difficulties”.
Below is the full statement
THE ENERGY SITUATION AND MATTERS ARISING; ERNEST OWUSU BEMPAH WRITES:
It is true that Ghana is currently experiencing some difficulties in the power sector but this situation certainly isn’t as dire as the doom mongers would have us believe.
The current situation is due to the complete shutdown of GHANA Gas infrastructure to complete the tie in works to enable the reverse flow of gas from Takoradi to Tema. Again, stranded Sankofa gas in the West will be put to good use, powering thermal plants in the Tema enclave.
This is a very temporary measure that will not last beyond twelve days. In the interim, adequate measures have been put in place to ameliorate the difficulties.
As the government continues to deal with the issues and try to ensure that we restore the country to reliable power supply, the NDC is peddling outright lies that the current difficulties we have are as a result of either financial challenges or mismanagement of the energy sector.
This cannot be the case. Yes there has always been financial issues in the energy sector that have resulted in the “legacy debt”, but the current difficulties is not due to lack of money or fuel as there is sufficient fuel to power generating plants at TOR.
It is a fact that any delay in the current maintenance and upgrade of the Takoradi regulating and metering station(TRMS) at Aboadze will cost the tax payer $400,000 daily.
Unlike the erstwhile Mahama government which doled out 10% of Karpower deal to the the Mahama family, the current government is working at pushing Karpower to generate 450megawatt of power to the benefit of Ghanaians. Indeed, the Mahama government actually signed 15 power purchase agreement worth $250 million and only 3 is up and running currently.
That’s a huge financial loss to the state and yet these same crop of unprincipled and criminally minded set of politicians are making ugly noises at government attempt at solving the current difficulties.
Again, the Mahama led NDC government’s L&G supply contract with Equatorial Guinea was $2.6billion for 15 years, which the Nana Addo government has renegotiated for $1.6billion saving the state over $1billion.
The ENI under Mahama was doing 98million cubic of gas everyday and this government has doubled production.
Tie in has also shot up production to 350million cubic of gas everyday.
So clearly, there’s a better management of the energy sector currently compared to the Mahama era and we expect these unpatriotic NDC people to shut up and allow the Akufo-Addo government to do what it was elected to do.
He has told them to shut up and allow Akufo-Addo government to resolve the situation.
As Ghanaians, we must resist the lies being propagated by the NDC. We can’t continue to allow the nation’s political hymn-singers to download their manure into our constricting throats without rejecting the asphyxiating stench of their waste.
Not a single day goes by without the nation seeing Mahama and his cohorts churn out one lie or the other all in an attempt to discredit the current government on the energy sector. Entertainingly, not an hour passes by without their so-called experts makes a fool out of themselves on simple matters that even 5th graders are able to assimilate. I personally find it quite comical to listen to the likes of John Jinapor blame the NPP government for driving the country into “Doom-Sor” when in fact, the government that he was part of actually plunged this country into 4-years of the energy crisis.
The growing dishonesty we see in Ghanaian politics is reminiscent of Ayi Kwei Armah’s “chichidodo” bird; a feathered hypocrite that that professes to hate excreta, yet feeds on maggots, which are bi-products of the very human waste it vehemently condemns and holds its breathe against its revolting stench.
Let’s bring some moral imperatives into national politics and please don’t tell me I am wrong. The NDC is not a serious party. Are they?
I shall be back.
Source: Daniel Kaku
