Stop your false claims about the power sector – Mahama to Akufo-Addo

The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has challenged the government to tell Ghanaians the number of megawatt power it has added to the national grid since assuming office.

Addressing NDC members and supporters at Ashalley Botwe on Tuesday, he said the Akufo-Addo government is yet to add anything significant to the power generation capacity it inherited.

Mr Mahama explained that it was during his administration that power plants like Ameri and Karpower were procured to end the then erratic power supply in Ghana, adding his government totally ended the erratic power supply in December 2015.

“If NPP is claiming to have ended dumsor, they should tell me one power plant they have added to the existing ones. The answer is zero”, he said.

Mr. Mahama noted that successive governments from Dr Kwame Nkrumah have all tried to add a certain number of megawatts to the national grid, except the Akufo-Addo regime which has failed to add anything to the national generation capacity.

He said the next NDC government will continue to develop the energy sector, including renewable energy, and extend rural electrification to communities without light.

The NDC presidential candidate also suggested that president Akufo-Addo is avoiding a presidential debate ahead of the elections because his government has no achievement to boast of, despite borrowing over 100 per cent more than the amount the Mahama government took in loans for development projects all over the country.

On job creation, Mr Mahama said it is high on his agenda and he will work hard to create a minimum of one million jobs for the people when elected. He said he will also implement a Free Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Free T-VET) policy as well as state-sponsored National Apprenticeship programme to empower the youth with employable skills. He added that those who go into apprenticeship will also be given toolkits upon the completion of their apprenticeship training.