www.ghanaweb.com: General News of Friday, 21 September 2007
Chinese Experts Stranded
The Chronicle reported in the General news of the plight of Chinese experts. The report indicated that the experts are about 11 Chinese energy experts, mainly engineers, who are in the country to continue work on the 84.0-acres of land released to the Sunon Asogli Power Ghana Limited by the Kpone Traditional Council (KTC) for the production of electric energy are stranded. How can the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) hijack this land? Who gave VALCO the go ahead to fence it off?
Our hard earn money have been spent on this project already. China has also spent so much and is only waiting to deliver the power plant. The reports goes on to explain that twenty of the energy experts who were already in the country have now returned to China, since VALCO started erecting a concrete wall around the parcel of land thereby debarring them from having access to the land and to continue their work on the over U.S.$ 550 million project. The amount of money involved is not a government guaranteed loan but a true foreign direct investment
Sources close to the stranded Chinese energy experts told ,The Chronicle that, the experts were curently staying in hotels in Tema and Accra and were disappointed with what was going on. They are practically unable to understand why a major project as this could suffer such a hitch. This scene is the last thing our country needs.
According to our source, the experts do not believe the country actually needs the energy, perhaps we are just talking otherwise this would not be happening. Ghana how stupid can we be with such a crisis situation. We aslo ahad some kind of hiccups during Busia’s Governemnt with the sewage systems hence up till now even Egypt has passed us with development. Ghanaina policiticans please face reality and stop dreaming.
If this group are already in the country , motivated to work, then let’s clear the VALCO hold VALCO to accounts as to where they secured the land from etc. Our Government needs to confront VALCO in view of our energy problems. No need of being polite as this isssue is life and death situation.
Given that they group have received all the assurances of government's support for the project. They said they were aware of land problems in the country and therefore when they arrived they had thorough discussions on several occasions with the Kpone Traditional Council and each time, they were reassured that the land was a problem free one.
Ghana needs to take this unique opportunity now . Energy availability and nature means abundancy of everything. VALCO can’t dicate to us . Have they got their evidence to proof their ownership? experts said the Chinese government had wanted them to set up the power plant in their own country but being convinced by the assurances they had received from top political figures in Ghana, they decided to come down and establish here.
Please do keep the Chinese motivated and focus on their project.as it appears Chinese experts were moving up and down the country in frustration trying to attract the sympathy of powers that be, to help release that portion of land in which over U.S.$50 million had already been sunk in the preparation of the project.
Geological surveys and other activities including the digging of holes for the installation of project equipment as well as the final design of the plant, based on the results of the various studies conducted hane been completed over the last three months. Therefore, the possibility of the project managers abandoning the site to look for a fresh piece of land and starting the process all over again would mean a huge financial loss and time to them.
It appears the project which was expected to come in two phases with phase one establishing a combined cycle power plant capable of generating 200MW of power by February next year and the phase two, expanding the generating capacity of the plant by 360MW within the next twelve months from the date of completion of phase one, have all grounded to a halt.
A detailed design of the entire project has already been completed, while the dismantling and the rehabilitating of the gas turbine generators for the smooth take-off of the project is nearing completion.
A contractual agreement, which has already been signed with a civil engineering company to start the civil works and which was expected to complete by the end of this month has been thrown overboard by the refusal of VALCO to allow them access to the land.
It appears all the equipment has been manufactured eg the boilers, main transformers and the GIS switchboard were almost complete in faraway China, while the equipment for the first phase of the project were sitting in a warehouse in China ready to be shipped into the country in November and December this year, well in time for the completion of the project and for its take-off in February next year.
Ghana is even fortunate to have these experts in the country when we need them most. to help the Volta River Authority (VRA) to set up some facilities including surveying and building of transmission lines for VRA, after the Kpone project, but from the look of things, this would slip through our fingers.
Don’t be frustrated Togbe Afede XIV, he confirmed his frustration over the turn of events in the whole transaction and expressed shock on how this kind of attitude could help the country reach the middle income status by 2015 as envisaged by the government. We are blind as a nation to allow VALCO to control us anyway.
No way would VALCO control us any more. Gone were those days. Surely, the Chief would be astonish over how an individual could take the whole country to ransom by preventing a project of this size and magnitude, which apart from bringing relief to the country in terms of the supply of energy could also create employment for people in the area and beyond, from being carried out. Apart from the Asantihene and this Chief how many Chiefs would go to such a length to helping Ghana as a nation?
This shows how land disputes can paralyse Ghana’s development. This is the time for us to to adhered to some kind of a strict land registry just like the way is done in the developed world focusing on Britan.
Although we don’t know much in details about the power plant would it be run on water, gas, or eletricity?
If this report is true then VALCO could be seen as frustrcting Ghana;s economy infracstrucutre and development. Ghana need to grasp this opportunity while it is there for us .
There is no tomorrow. This could be termed as trying to procrastination crucial development and VALCO can’t stop our nation period.
Copyright © 1994 - 2024 GhanaWeb. All rights reserved.
