The Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Adam Mutawakilu is unhappy with some developments in the energy sector.
According to him, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has been hijacking the work of the Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu.
Speaking to Citi News, Mutawakilu, who is also the spokesperson for the Minority on energy, alleged that the Independent Power Producers and other stakeholders in the energy sector now report directly to Ofori-Atta instead of the Energy Minister.
Matawakilu said he will ensure that Amewu is summoned before the Energy Committee of Parliament and if possible the Finance Minister over the development including the increasing debt in the sector.
“I have discussed the matter with the Chairman [of the Energy Committee] and I think that we will invite the Minister for Energy. The Minister of Finance has now hijacked the work of the Minister for Energy, even Independent Power Producers now report to the Minister for Finance. They’ve rendered the Minister for Energy useless. We will summon the Minister of Energy first and where necessary, we will bring the Minister of Finance,” he said.
Last week, Senior Staff of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) withdrew emergency services with a pledge to declare a full-blown strike if the debts owed the company are not settled.
Mutawakilu told Citi News that the Energy Minister must appear before the committee to brief them on steps being taken to settle the debt.
He had in an earlier interview urged the government to release funds to settle debts owed GRIDCo to avert possible intermittent power cuts.
“The morale of staff is not sound because of frustrations. They will not be able to out their bests to ensure the lights are on and therefore President Nana Akufo-Addo should not take us back to dumsor… He should resolve all the challenges facing GRIDCo, extended to ECG and NEDCo with immediate effect.”
The Senior Staff of GRIDCo had alleged that ECG and NEDCo owe about GHS607 million and GHS177 million respectively, while VALCO and PDS owe over US$32 million and GHS94 million respectively.
After seven days, staff of GRIDCo plan to march to the ECG head office and the Ministry of Finance to picket in demand for their money.
Source: CNR
