Minister orders VRA to end 'dumsor'

Minister of Power, Dr. Kwabena Donkor, has given the management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Takoradi International Company (TiCO) a six-month ultimatum to end the country’s current power crisis.

“I urge you to put measures in place to end the current power crisis within six months”, he stressed.

Dr. Donkor, who assumed office last week, indicated that he would authorise all power generators at the various VRA bungalows and chief executive officers’ residences to be disconnected if the crisis continued after the six-month period.

He noted that his intended action would make workers of VRA and TiCO experience how it feels to sleep in darkness as being experienced by ordinary Ghanaians.

The minister claimed that he was embarrassed by the frequent power outages the country has been experiencing.

Dr. Donkor gave the warning during his maiden visit to the Aboadze Thermal Power Station near Takoradi in the Western Region last week Wednesday (on the eve of Christmas).

The minister was at Aboadze to familiarise himself with the activities of VRA and TiCo, which offices are located at the fishing community.

He noted that he had been mandated by President Mahama to end the power crisis within the shortest time possible and warned that anyone who relaxed would be booted out.

He charged the VRA, TiCO and Independent Power Producers to produce affordable, sustainable and cost-effective energy to meet domestic and industrial needs.

He charged potential power producers and investors to aim at constructing power plants that could generate more than 300 megawatts of energy in view of the rising demand for power in the country.

He also reiterated government’s resolve to venture into coal energy generation since it is more affordable and cost-effective.

“The Government has targeted producing 5,000 megawatts of power by 2016 in order to ensure reliable and efficient supply of power to all sectors of the economy,” he announced.

Nana Sarfo Adjei, General Manager of TiCO and Richard Oppong-Mensah, Acting Director of Thermal Generation of VRA, took turns to brief the Minister on measures put in place by their respective outfits to resolve the energy crisis.