The 2012 flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom says he is not convinced by President John Mahama’s promise of ‘banishing’ Ghana’s energy problem, popularly known as Dumsor, by the end of this year.
His claim, he said is based on his conviction that Ghana’s energy problem is much more deep-seated than thought and it would take more time to tackle it even if the country seeks to build more power barges.
“The power problem we have would not be solved before the end of four years…if somebody tells me that this power problem would be solved this year, I know they are not serious…even if you build power barges, it would take three to four years to build,” he said on Accra-based Citi FM.
President John Dramani Mahama has promised to banish the problem which is crippling Ghana’s industrial sector by the close of this year.
“2015 will be one in which we banish darkness from our land and put an end to dumsor forever…,” President Mahama said during a 31st December, 2014 All Night at the Perez Dome in Dzorwulu.
Power Minister, Kwabena Donkor also promised to do same by the end of 2015 promising further to resign if he fails to deals with it.
“At least the end of the year is December so you can hold me to that…yes I will resign…,” he said.
But these promises, the former Energy Minister under the erstwhile Kufour administration indicated are unconvincing especially as he believes Ghana’s problem is deeper than Ghanaians are being told.
Dr Nduom further called on President John Mahama to stop paying lip service and come out with the truth concerning the crisis so that Ghanaian businessmen would brace themselves up for the crisis.
“We must not play politics with power…when there is a plan, we must follow it and tell people that it needs long term solutions…Mahama must be bold and tell Ghanaians the truth, so that when there is a long term plan, we follow it…I am a businessman so I would brace myself for it,” he said.
According to him, the power crisis can be tackled head on by 2019 if “we start doing the right thing in the energy sector” adding that production of power through power barges is only one leg of solving the problem.
The other legs, he said, involve the transmission of power which would take several years because it would take time to fix the equipment at GRIDCo and VRA which are weak as a result of several decades of usage.
He therefore reiterated that there was the need for the President to be truthful to Ghanaians on the power crisis.
Source – Joyfm
