Power crisis: CPP wants Energy Minister fired

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) says the current power crisis facing the country betrays Energy and Petroleum Minister, Emmanuel Amah Kofi Buah’s ineffectiveness.

The CPP, therefore, has called on the President to do away with Buah’s services.

According to the party’s Deputy vice Chair Rhodaline Imoro-Ayana, the President’s creation of a new power Ministry – to be headed by Pru East MP Dr Kwabena Donkor, if approved by Parliament after vetting – to resolve the power crisis, is enough proof that Buah has failed.

“The President with Energy Minister Buah have promised us 5000 Megawatts of electricity. They have made promises over the years that they are going to give us energy and power so for us to wake up one morning to hear that Kwabena Donkor is going to marshal air, human and material resources to resolve the issue, then you ask yourself: ‘What has Buah been doing?’”

Imoro-Ayana wondered: “Has he not been given the resources to marshal all the resources and the support and everything to give us electricity?”

In her view, “…I think if anything at all, we want to downsize and therefore Buah must go.”

“Kwabena Donkor can then take over. But I don’t know what Buah is going to be doing? If he is going to be energy minister and somebody else is going to be doing the one doing the job, I don’t get it,” she added.

Ghana has been plunged into a steadily worsening energy crisis. Power producers Volta River Authority (VRA) recently shut down two turbines as part of its energy conservation programme.

It says the low water level in the country's main hydro-power station, Akosombo Dam, justifies the shutdown of the turbines, so as to reserve some energy for next year.

The erratic power supply has led to some citizens threatening to burn down installations of power distributor Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The company's Managing Director, William Hutton-Mensah was recently sacked by President John Mahama.

Hutton-Mensah was on his annual leave when the announcement of dismissal was made.

He has been asked by the President to report to the energy minister for reassignment.

Staff of the company have threatened a mass strike if he is not immediately reinstated.