The Power Crises in Ashanti

ASANTE DEVELOPMENT UNION (ADU)

PRESS RELEASE

(DATE: 23RD FEBRUAY, 2015)

FREQUENT POWER OUTAGES IN THE REGION

The ADU bemoans the power crisis that has persisted in the Ashanti Region and particularly Kumasi for the past four years. Its frequency and persistence has become very worrying to those of us living in the region.

We are even more surprised that its resolution seems to have eluded authorities for so long. This situation is simply unacceptable.

Indeed as a Commercial Hub of the Country, such a situation threatens to cause irreparable damage to the economy of the region. ADU calls on government to take immediate and urgent steps to ensure that at least industrial and commercial activities obtain reliable power supply for production.

The recent statements by government apparatus on how it intends to resolve the energy crisis in the short term, though long overdue, is still not reassuring enough, let alone the long term.

The people of the Region have heard such promises before, which came to not!

As the President of the Republic of Ghana his Excellency John Dramani Mahama, presents the State of the Nation’s address on the 26th of February 2015, ADU expects to hear nothing but the following:

1. Pragmatic measures adopted to resolve the energy crisis both long term and short term

2. Measures to forestall future occurrence

3. Concrete steps being taken presently on the energy sector front

4. Government making the availability of energy its priority

5. Immediate constant power to the Industrial and Commercial enclaves in Kumasi

ADU calls on Government to provide immediately uninterrupted supply of power to the industrial and business enclaves such as Suame Magazine, Asafo Auto Works and, Publications, Kaase, Adum, and Kajetia. The need for reliable power supply to these critical commercial and industrial hubs is to prevent further loss of jobs and incomes, and to restore human dignity.

ADU calls on all its members and citizens of the region to express their dissatisfaction towards the power crises by joining the demonstration slated for the 25th February 2015.

Indeed we expect appropriate and adequate resolution from the government and the President of the Republic.

Thank You.

Edmond Oppong-Peprah

(Coordinator, ADU)

Contact: 0244 247799