Gov’t rubbishes reports of Ivory Coast cutting power to Ghana

Minister of Petroleum Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has asked Ghanaians to treat with the contempt it deserves a letter making rounds on social media and purported to have been issued by the minister of energy of Ivory Coast announcing a cut in power supply to Ghana.

“It’s a lie and it is not true.” Speaking to journalists over the issue on Thursday, November 10, Mr Buah said the letter has been orchestrated by the opposition after being “dumbfounded” about efforts of government within a short period to solve the energy crisis. “This is really coming from the opposition. They are desperate. They are dumbfounded.

They are very confused. Their hope was that the dumsor they have been preaching about will stay till elections.” ‘Not magic’ He said government had taken pragmatic steps to solve the energy crisis and President Mahama had personally led the efforts. “The reason why we don’t have dumsor is not magic,” he observed.

“It is hard work.” He said with the relationship Ghana has with La Cote d’Ivoire, power supply cannot be cut all of a sudden. “We do daily exchanges,” he pointed out, adding that Ghana’s electricity is interconnected not only with its western neighbours but the eastern one of Togo and even Benin. “Ghana is poised to be the net exporter of power to the sub-region and we are proud of that leadership…and continue to exchange power with Cote d’Ivoire.”

The letter which made rounds on social media said Cote d’Ivoire shall cease to supply power to Ghana from November 21 and surcharged the country $602 million for contract impairment.