Petition to sack ECG boss 'frivolous, unmeritorious' – Group

A group calling itself the Objective Media Forum has described the petition filed against the Managing Director of the Electricity of Ghana, Mr Kwame Agyeman-Budu by the Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA), as frivolous and politically motivated.

GECA among, other allegations, accused the MD of depriving the ECG of logistics and materials to work.

They also alleged that the government of Ghana had handed over some 600 million to the MD to pay contractors but had sat on the money.

They also questioned his professional competence for the job as MD of ECG.

But the statement issued by the Objective Media Forum described the petition as unmeritorious and one containing falsehoods.

According to the group led by Emmanuel Anrfi, the petition is being sponsored by some faceless personalities who want the job of the MD.

”This is not only outrageous but lies orchestrated by faceless individuals who have planned to have the MD removed from office.

We wish to state categorically that under no circumstance has the ECG encountered the shortage of materials and logics to work.

Mr Budu has consistently provided the ECG with the needed logistics and materials for them to work efficiently.

Any objective mind who wants to dispute this fact can engage t65he ECG and would come to the same conclusion.

The petition also claimed that the MD has blatantly refused to pay contractors who have completed their works, including on-going projects for the past three years.

The accusation is false and without merit, because the current MD, introduced monthly payment for the Independent Power Producers, this was a novel initiative because his predecessors did not have that in place.

This was to help sustain our power supply, and from our objective analysis, we strongly state that he is being accused, falsely.

Again, the petition makes a waggish claim that the outstanding and competent MD has ignored awarding contracts in relations to a power supply to rural communities.

The new MD has not only brought in innovations to the EC but employed the use of new technologies in advancing the work of the ECG.”

Read the full statement below

Our attention has been to a frivolous and unmeritorious petition filed against the Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Mr Kwame Agyeman Budu by the Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA).

The group among other things alleged that under the sterling leadership of Mr Budu, there had been a shortage of materials such as transformers, conductors, head-gears, etc for the past years which is affecting the early completion of most upgrades and expansion projects nationwide.

This is not only outrageous but lies orchestrated by faceless individuals who have planned to have the MD removed from office.

We wish to state categorically that under no circumstance has the ECG encountered the shortage of materials and logics to work.

Mr Budu has consistently provided the ECG with the needed logistics and materials for them to work efficiently.

Any objective mind who wants to dispute this fact can engage t65he ECG and would come to the same conclusion.

The petition also claimed that the MD has blatantly refused to pay contractors who have completed their works, including on-going projects for the past three years.

The accusation is false and without merit, because the current MD, introduced monthly payment for the Independent Power Producers, this was a novel initiative because his predecessors did not have that in place.

This was to help sustain our power supply, and from our objective analysis, we strongly state that he is being accused of falsely.

Again, the petition makes a waggish claim that the outstanding and competent MD has ignored awarding contracts in relations to a power supply to rural communities.

The new MD has not only brought innovations to the EC but employed the use of new technologies in advancing the work of the ECG.

It would be the figment of the imagination of his accusers to throw these allegations against Mr Budu for their selfish and parochial interest.

On the allegation of him awarding contracts to NDC supporters after taking money from them, we would ask the public to treat that with contempt because it lacks substance.

As an MD who believes in Corporate Social Responsibility, he personally completed the abandoned Pantang Infectious Disease Centre, which served as a referral point for the treatment of Covid-19.

The Objective Media Forum has also taken note of the introduction of smart prepaid meters with which one can load their metres with credit at their convenience.

He also introduced the drone system for monitoring power lines and projects given out to independent contractors.

The initiative has assisted the ECG to identify faulty lines and resolve them quickly.

Other infrastructural projects undertaken by the MD is unmatched, and they include the call centre incorporated with various social media and web platforms into the operations of ECG.

We conclude by reinforcing that Kwame Agyeman-Budu is an engineer with over 28 years of experience. His professional life is unquestionable, and he has risen through the ranks at ECG.