Today, Thursday, 4th April, 2024, I swore into office, newly appointed Board Chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana, Hon. Herbert Krapa.
Dr.Matgew Opoku Prempeh aka NAPO swearing in the New Board Chairman of ECG,Herbert Krapa
The appointment of Herbert Krapa
, I said, sends the clearest indication of the President’s renewed interest in the affairs of the company and therefore the need for a commensurate culture of accountability, professionalism, and innovation within the ECG.
Herbert Krapa
I urged the new Board Chairman to reflect deeply on the trust and expectations placed upon him by His Excellency the President in this defining moment in the life of the ECG.
I believe that Hon. Krapa, a Deputy Minister for Energy, is acutely aware of the vexed matters within the power sector and therefore have no doubt that, he will, with the necessary support, stem the tide.
Together, we remain resolute to support the ECG become viable to prosecute the crucial mandate of keeping the lights on for the Ghanaian people.
I congratulate Hon. Krapa warmly, on his appointment.
The Energy Ministry has clarified recent remarks by the sector minister, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, regarding the release of a timetable for ongoing power outages.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, March 26, and signed by the Minister’s spokesperson, Kofi Abrefa Afena, it was emphasised that Dr. Prempeh was simply stating facts.
Dr. Prempeh challenged those advocating for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to issue a load-shedding timetable to present their own proposed schedules.
During the inauguration of the NPP campaign team in the Ashanti Region, he encouraged critics to develop their own timetables if they deemed it necessary.
Dr.Mathew Opoku Prempeh(NAPO), Energy Minister
He questioned the rationale behind creating a timetable when the ECG has confirmed that no such plan is in place.
Despite widespread public criticism of his comments, the statement clarified that the Minister holds respect for Ghanaians, as has been his attitude, and did not intend to disrespect citizens.
According to the statement, Dr Opoku Prempeh asserted that there was no need for the release of a timetable for the recent power outages.
“The Minister dismissed the need for a load management time table because in his view and as indicated by the Electricity Company of Ghana, the causes of the temporary power chalenges are being addressed.”
“The Honourable Minister has always been sensitive to the plight of the Ghanaian people and continues to ask for their forbearance, as has always been the case when challenges relative ot power stability emerge.”
“The Ministry wishes to assure the general public that the Ministry as the policy maker and mother agency of the various power sector actors si working assiduously with these agencies to ensure that the temporary challenges are resolved,” the statement concluded.Source: Ernest K. Arhinful
Despite the recent wave of power outages affecting regions across Ghana, Energy Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has staunchly defended the energy sector under President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration, asserting that it surpasses the previous regime led by John Mahama.
Criticism has surfaced in various parts of the country, particularly in Greater Accra, where citizens have faced disruptions due to the erratic supply of electricity, prompting frustration towards the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
As demands for a structured load-shedding timetable have mounted to aid in planning amidst the power crisis, ECG has rebuffed such calls, maintaining that there is no official “dumsor”, negating the necessity for a prescribed schedule.
Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh aka NAPO
Addressing concerns at the NPP campaign team inauguration in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Opoku Prempeh highlighted the strides made within the energy sector under the NPP government, emphasizing a significant enhancement compared to the previous NDC administration.
In an apparent comparison of the two administrations’ energy performances over their respective four-year terms, Dr. Opoku Prempeh asserted, “the NPP administration Energy Sector is 300 times better than that of Mahama.”
Assuring the public of ongoing efforts to rectify the current challenges, Dr. Opoku Prempeh acknowledged the complexities involved in elevating the energy sector, pledging continuous commitment from his ministry to improve the situation progressively.
Dismissing the need for a load-shedding timetable, Dr. Opoku Prempeh echoed ECG’s stance and condemned the proposition, questioning the intentions of those advocating for it, stating, “Let those who want the timetable bring it. I don’t know of any timetable because the ECG has said it is not necessary. Why would someone just wish evil for the country?”Source: dailyguidenetwork.com
The Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has reassured the public of putting in place measures to fix the recent power supply disruption across the country.
Various areas have been experiencing interruptions in electricity supply in the past weeks, prompting citizens to express their dissatisfaction with the ECG.
Dr.Mathew Opoku Prempeh aka NAPO
This has triggered calls for a load-shedding timetable, but the Energy Minister has dismissed the request.
He says the demand for a load-shedding timetable is equivalent to wishing evil for the country.
“Let those who want the timetable bring it. I don’t know of any timetable because the ECG has said it is not necessary. Why would someone just wish evil for the country?” he asked.
According to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the government is working towards power restoration.
“I have promised you that we are going to work on it and it’s not a single event. It’s a process,” he indicated.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh says although the recent power outages confronting the country has become a major challenge, it is better under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo than it was under John Mahama.
He wants citizens to exercise patience as the ECG works toward power restoration.Source: Nana Boakye Dankwah Yiadom
One of the leading members of the NDC, Henry Osei Akoto, has provided a video of what he says is a classic example of the re-emergence of the erratic power supply in the country, commonly known as ‘dumsor.’
In the video, which the former National Democratic Congress parliamentary aspirant for Oforikrom shared online, he showed how he had visited a popular market area in Kumasi and seen many shops with generators.
Osei Akoto’s visit to Adum, Kumasi, as he stated in the video, is to confirm that indeed, dumsor had returned.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has given the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) seven days to provide a detailed incident report on power outages for the period January 1, 2024 to date.
According to the Commission, the ECG is also to state the volume of load curtailed for each power outage incident, energy not served, and number of customers affected.
This directive was contained in a report sighted by JoyNews.
Meanwhile, PURC says failure on the part of ECG to respond to these key issues will force the Commission to impose sanctions on the power distribution company.
The Ranking Member of the Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor, has disclosed that the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is grappling with a colossal debt of $1.5 billion.
According to Mr. Jinapor, this massive debt is primarily due to ECG’s failure to meet its financial obligations to Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and its inability to settle bills for purchased electricity in full.
Additionally, Mr. Jinapor criticised ECG for what he sees as wasteful spending on items like cables, malfunctioning meters, and what he considers unnecessary contracts.
Pointing to a report from the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) that he has reviewed, Mr. Jinapor highlighted instances where ECG allegedly mismanaged funds, diverting significant sums away from debt repayment to other expenditures.
John Jinapor
In a media interview, Mr. Jinapor urged ECG to provide transparent explanations for the recent power outages experienced by Ghanaians.
“ECG owes $1.5 billion, when they take the money from Ghanaians, they fail to pay the IPPs and use the funds to do whatever they want with it and they fail to pay the full price of the power they purchase and PURC has brought a report that when ECG comes in possession of a substantial amount of money they refuse to pay the debt they owe, they spend the money recklessly, and this is an official report from the PURC.
“Some of the things they buy, they don’t even need it, and now they want to be buying fuel, which is not even their core duty, all these are a reason the finances aren’t adding up,” he said.
The Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Samuel Dubik Mahama, has attributed the recent power outages in parts of Accra and other regions to maintenance issues rather than fuel-related problems.
Numerous communities have faced unpredictable power supply for several weeks without prior notice from ECG.
Addressing the matter on Starr FM on Thursday, February 29, 2024, Mr Mahama assured that ECG is diligently working to resolve the challenges and restore power to affected areas.
According to him, the ongoing issues are primarily associated with major maintenance concerns rather than fuel shortages.
“We are having major maintenance issues, the issue we are having now has nothing to do with fuel. You are relying on a power plant that is to give you about 360 megawatts then around 4 pm the gas emergency safety valve has a problem. What do you do? It is a machine.
Samuel Dubik Mahama
“The machine failed us and we kept on saying that it’s a machine issue that we were trying to fix,” Mr. Mahama stated.
Acknowledging the impact of the machinery failure on the power supply, he expressed regret over the lack of timely communication with the public.
He continued: “I must apologize to Ghanaians, when it started we should actually have the confidence to have a chat with everybody and put out a statement.”Source:Citinewsroom
The Minority in Parliament has called on the Electricity Company of Ghana to immediately publish a timetable for the ongoing power cuts popularly known as ‘Dumsor’ to enable people to plan their lives.
Addressing Journalists in Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, John Jinapor said the continuous and deliberate denial by government officials to the effect that there was no load shedding could no longer suffice.
“We are reliably informed that dumsor will continue today at 12:00 and it’s only fair that Ghanaians are made aware,” Mr Jinapor said.
John Jinapor
The Minority spokesperson for Energy said the government is unable to purchase enough fuel to power some of the thermal plants due to financial constraints leading to generation challenges.
“The best this government led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his vice Dr Mahamudu Bawumia can do is to publish the schedule of the ongoing dumsor, so people can plan their lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, the electricity supply to Parliament and Job 600, the office complex for Members of Parliament, was on Thursday disconnected due to a GHc23 million debt.
The National Taskforce executed the disconnection following unsuccessful attempts to collect the outstanding arrears.
The disconnection is part of the ongoing “Operation Zero Balance” initiative by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) task force.
The primary goal of this initiative is to recover outstanding debts from various customers, and in this case, Parliament House and Job 600 were targeted due to their substantial debt.
Parliament experienced a power outage on Thursday, February 29, 2024 during the day’s proceedings.
The legislators were debating President Akufo-Addo’s recent State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Outgoing Deputy Minister for Finance, Abena Osei-Asare was on the floor defending the President’s address when power went off.
It triggered chants of “Dumsor, dumsor!” from the Minority side of the house.
However, the power was restored after a few minutes.
The House was disconnected due to a GHc23 million debt owed to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The company’s taskforce executed the disconnection after the House failed to settle the arrears.
The office complex for Members of Parliament, Job 600 was also affected.
This development comes as many Ghanaians are already complaining of erratic power supply.
Early on Thursday morning, the Minority described the recent power outages as a sign of a looming crisis in the country’s power sector.
According to Minority Spokesperson on Mines and Energy, John Jinapor, the power outages are due to the government’s inability to purchase fuel for the country’s thermal plants.
Speaking in Parliament, he highlighted the persistent and consistent load-shedding by the country’s power generation companies.
“Indeed, the load-shedding is getting worse by the day. The very day His Excellency the President was delivering the State of the Nation address and boasting, up that very period, the utility companies were shedding the load,” he said on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
Mr. Jinapor revealed that on February 28, there was a massive power deficit of 530 megawatts, which resulted in power cuts to neighbouring countries such as Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo.
“You will attest that there was some massive darkness yesterday. Today at 12 pm, load-shedding will commence again.”
He explained that several of the country’s thermal power plants are not functioning properly, resulting in a significant reduction in power generation.
According to him, the government has been unable to purchase enough fuel to run the thermal plants due to financial constraints.
He urged the government to be more transparent and open about the situation and to provide people with the information they need to plan their lives.
