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Dumsor looms, Mahama’s govt must act swiftly – IES
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The Institute for Energy Security (IES) has issued a dire warning about an impending power crisis, commonly referred to as ‘dumsor,’ urging the Mahama administration to take immediate action.
This follows concerns raised by John Abdulai Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu, who cited a severe fuel shortage as the root cause of the looming crisis.
Speaking after the inauguration of President John Dramani Mahama in Accra on Tuesday, January 7, 2024, Jinapor revealed that Ghana’s current fuel stock is critically low, with only five hours of fuel supply remaining.
He criticized the outgoing administration for failing to secure sufficient fuel, leaving the incoming government in a vulnerable position.
Backing these claims, Nana Amoasi VII, Executive Director of the Institute for Energy Security (IES), highlighted the fragile state of Ghana’s power sector during an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM.
He attributed the crisis to systemic inefficiencies and poor planning, stressing the urgent need for reforms to prevent prolonged power outages.
The IES and other stakeholders are calling for decisive action to address the situation and stabilize the country’s power supply.
“It is not something that we were not expecting. Being watchers of the space, we knew very well that we had a very fragile power sector stemming from systemic inefficiencies, including poor planning,” Nana Amoasi VII stated.
He emphasised the reliance on natural gas and the lack of adequate backup or stock of liquid fuel, which has left the country exposed to potential power outages.
“Today we are more reliant on natural gas, but thank God almost all the plants that we have in Ghana, excluding the hydro ones and the solar, all of them can run on liquid fuel as well. But we knew that we don’t have any backup or any stock of liquid fuel in adequate form, so we knew that at a certain point in time we could be exposed,” he explained.
Nana Amoasi VII expressed disappointment that no procurement or lifting arrangements were made during the transition to ensure a seamless power supply.
“Unfortunately, we were expecting that as part of the transition arrangement, some form of procurement or lifting would have been made to ensure that there is no gap left within the space, but our checks indicate that we don’t have enough liquid fuel to give us that reliance and assurance that we won’t have any shock in power supply,” he added.
The IES Executive Director appealed to the current administration to take immediate action to address the looming crisis.
“So we will appeal to the men in charge today to get back to work and start work as soon as possible. Either than that, we are largely exposed,” he stated.
Source: citinewsroom.com
Minister for Education Haruna Iddrisu has questioned why Ghana continues to import toothpicks despite having the resources to produce them locally.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr. Iddrisu, who previously served as Minister for Trade and Industry, said he feels ashamed that the country still depends on imports for such a basic product.
“I have been Minister for Trade and Industry before and I carry the shame. How come that in Ghana we cannot produce toothpicks and we have to import them?” he asked.
According to him, Ghana has enough resources to support local businesses to manufacture products such as toothpicks instead of relying on imports. He said the country should encourage private sector investment in manufacturing to create jobs and reduce dependence on foreign goods.
Mr. Iddrisu alleged that some people who received government support under private sector initiatives failed to use the funds for their intended purpose.
“If you want, Honorable Kojo, because you… I can’t go there. There are people who took money in the name of the private sector and said they were going to farm. That money never went to their farms. You know that,” he told Parliament.
On job creation, the Education Minister said he agreed with the views expressed by a colleague on the need to create more employment opportunities. However, he argued that the One District, One Factory (1D1F) programme did not provide the solution to Ghana’s employment challenges.
Mr. Iddrisu made the remarks during parliamentary proceedings while contributing to discussions on job creation and the country’s industrial development.
By: Jacob Aggrey
New Patriotic Party (NPP) communications officer, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has dismissed reports linking him to an alleged GH¢55 million case, insisting that no such issue was raised during his detention by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).
In a Facebook post after his release from EOCO custody, Mr Aboagye stated that at no point during his detention was he questioned about any GH¢55 million.
“For the records: There was no discussion of any GH¢55 million with me by EOCO. None,” he wrote.
According to him, he was detained for four days, a day after announcing his intention to contest for the position of National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party.
Mr Aboagye alleged that false narratives were circulated about his arrest but expressed confidence that the truth would eventually prevail.
He thanked NPP supporters who demonstrated and called for his release, saying news of the protests reached him while he was in detention and encouraged him.
Mr Aboagye indicated that the support shown by party faithful strengthened his resolve and reaffirmed his commitment to serve the NPP.
He maintained that his detention had not discouraged him from pursuing his political ambition.
“If the intention was to break me, it has failed. If the intention was to scare me, it has failed spectacularly,” he stated.
Mr Aboagye expressed appreciation to his legal team, the leadership of the NPP and all supporters who stood by him throughout his detention.
He reiterated his determination to lead the party’s Communications Directorate, declaring that he remained “ready to win” and committed to what he described as the party’s mission to “command the narrative.”
By: Jacob Aggrey
