President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to tackling Ghana’s energy problems and averting a return of the Dumsor power shortages.
President Mahama addressed the urgent problems in the energy sector while addressing the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Ghana’s National Convention on Thursday, January 9. He reassured Ghanaians that his administration is making every effort to stabilize the situation.
He emphasized that preventive steps are being taken to prevent future power outages and provide a steady supply of electricity, and he urged locals not to give up.
The President’s comments coincide with increased worries about thermal plant fuel shortages and the West African Gas Pipeline Company’s postponed pipeline repair, which experts caution might worsen the energy crisis if left unchecked.
“We are assuming office at a critical time in our nation’s history. Ghana is faced with significant challenges. But that is exactly the reason why you elected us. We will transparently let you understand what those challenges are and we will take responsibility for solving them.
“There is a threat of power outages but my brothers and sisters, don’t despair. You elected us to solve the problems not to put the blame on anybody else. I can assure you of some of the ideas they have come up with. We will make sure that your lights stay on so that we do not have what you call ‘Dumsor.”
In order to prevent an impending power outage in Ghana, the West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) decided on January 9 to delay its scheduled pipeline maintenance by two weeks.
Chief of Staff Julius Debrah formed a technical team to address the impending energy crisis, and the committee conducted intense negotiations that resulted in this decision.
The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) identified the repair as a serious threat to the nation’s electrical supply, and it was originally planned to start this week.
GRIDCo warned that ongoing fuel shortages for thermal plants, combined with the disruption in gas supply from the pipeline, would severely cripple Ghana’s power generation capacity.
Source: Citinewsroom.com