The energy ministry is a tough one - Boakye Agyarko

Former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, has stated that the energy ministry is a challenging institution to oversee adding that one has to 'fight' to ensure things are done rightly.

According to Boakye Agyarko, despite his hard work and positive vision for the energy ministry, some forces prevented him from discharging his duties effectively.

He claimed that some powerful individuals have a "vested interest" in the energy sector and compared the ministry to the galamsey scourge.

Boakye Agyarko was speaking in an interview on Asempa FM which was monitored by GhanaWeb.

"It's like the galamsey menace that has been going on. The vested interest will not let go. The vested interest in the energy sector? They will never let go, all actors who feed from it. They will 'submarine' you before you even sit down. It's a tough place. You either go with the flow or you fight."

The former minister clarified his claim by pointing out that because the industry generates a lot of revenue, interested parties frequently employ schemes for their gain.

"Some things happen there, knowing fully it's not supposed to be so, but it occurs anyway. When you look into it, for instance, a bad contract can be tampered with so much that working on it becomes useless. So you are stuck in the mess.

"It is a very tough place, it is a place where there's a lot of money floating about. You see, wherever there is money, the devil takes his place so he can push through with his schemes. There are several things you do that will benefit the country but there are forces that stop you," he revealed.

For the NPP presidential hopeful, focusing and giving the best as an energy minister is the only way to survive because "if you want appreciation as a hardworking energy minister, you won't get."

FNOQ/OGB