Energy Crisis Was Avoidable - Minority

Accra, June 19, GNA - The Minority has described government's handling of the current energy crisis as smacking of, "inefficiency, ineptitude and irresponsibility" saying the crisis was avoidable. Moving a Private Members' motion on the energy situation, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, NDC- Tamale South, said having come from the energy crisis of 1983 and 1987, it was only prudent for government to have known that the cycle was bound to repeat itself in 2007.

"The government has no excuse whatsoever and could have moved fast from plunging this country into the darkness we currently find ourselves in."

Mr. Iddrisu said there was evidence from the Volta River Authority (VRA) and other independent bodies such as the World Bank on the state of the country's energy capacity before August last year. He said, during earlier energy crisis, the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government alerted the country and industry on the future prospects, but the New Patriotic Party government had not done thus pushing industry and Ghanaians into severe difficulty. He said the NDC made the wise move in diversifying by shifting to thermal energy, stressing that Ghana was currently using 50 per cent of present energy from thermal sources.

"I wonder what would have happened if the government then had not made the wise move of diversifying energy sources," he queried. New Patriotic Party members in Parliament, however, countered arguments from the minority on government's handling of the energy situation and tabled an amended motion, saying they were commending government and urging it to implement plans put in place to generate more power.

Dr Kwame Ampofo, NDC- South Dayi said a critical examination of all the State of the Nation Address by President John Agyekum Kufuor only paid lip service to building a solid energy base for the country. "Indeed, it was only twice that the President actually did talk about energy, and in both cases he was just referring to having signed the West African Gas Pipeline Project and he later expressing the hope that it would e completed soon."

Mr Moses Asaga, NDC- Nabdam, also called for caution in the various adjectives being used to describe the oil find, "we must be careful and particular in how we go about it."

David Opong-Kusi, NPP-Ayirebi-Ofoase said government's move to increase hydro potential was in the right direction, since the Aboadze Thermal Plant was not reliable.

To this he was corrected by members in the Minority who said Ghana was currently using 50 per cent thermal power. He called on his colleagues to abandon the attitude of laying blame and work at changing the face of the energy sector in the country. The main debate on the motion has been slated for tomorrow June 20, 2007. 19 June 07