The Minister of State-designate for the Ministry of Energy, Herbert Krapa, has said government now has a firm grip on the recent power challenges in the country.
Consumers in the country, have had to grapple with intermittent power cuts in the past few months, raising fears the country has returned to the days of power rationing, also known as dumsor.
Krapa, who doubles as the board chairman of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) assured the situation, will be brought under control after he was sworn into office.
Speaking during his vetting by Parliament’s appointments committee yesterday, Tuesday, July 9, 2024, Krapa said, “The power situation, I believe every Ghanaian can attest to it that it is stable.”
“We are delivering reliable power supply to all our consumers across the country, I can assure this committee and the Ghanaian people that the challenges that we saw in the past few months, the government [and} ECG now have a firm grip on the situation now,” Krapa said.
Mr Krapah, also assured the public that, the government is dedicated to mitigating the anticipated effects of the spillage from the Akosombo Dam.
This announcement comes as the Volta River Authority (VRA) prepares to engage with stakeholders to manage the excess water discharge.
As the VRA and government officials prepare for the potential spillage, the emphasis remains on collaboration and readiness to prevent a repeat of last year’s significant damage.
Krapah emphasized that the government has learned from the past, specifically referring to the significant damage caused by the previous year’s spillage.
He highlighted the importance of proactive measures and stakeholder engagement in addressing the challenges posed by such incidents.
“The government is committed to ensuring that we are better prepared and can respond more effectively to the anticipated spillage,” Krapah stated.
“We have learned valuable lessons from the past, and it is crucial that we work together with all relevant stakeholders to mitigate the impact.”
In a related development, the Minority in Parliament staged a boycott of Krapah’s vetting process.
Krapah, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s nominee for Minister of State at the Energy Ministry, currently serves as a deputy minister in the same ministry.
President Akufo Addo, in a letter indicated that given the exceptionally heavy workload now attendant at the Energy Ministry, it has become necessary to nominate a Minister of State at the Ministry, in the person of Herbert Krapah, who is currently a deputy minister at the same Ministry.
However, at the Appointments Committee sitting to consider Herbert Krapah’s nomination, the Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah highlighted some reasons for the caucus’ boycott of the process.
He explained that the nomination was not published in a national newspaper, denying the public the opportunity to submit memoranda or make representations to the Appointments Committee.
The Deputy Minority Leader also questioned the need for a Minister of State at the Energy Ministry when a substantive Minister is already in place.
The Minority has vowed not to participate in the vetting process, which they believe is designed to exclude public participation and perpetuate the bloated size of the government.
“The Minority Council has taken note of attempts by the majority side to short-circuit and circumvent the due process required in the venture of the President’s nominee for the position of Minister of State and the Ministry of Energy.
“Long-standing parliamentary practice requires that persons nominated for appointment by the President shall be published in a newspaper of national circulation to inform and request memoranda or representation from the public.”
“This ordinarily means that the public ought to be given reasonable notice and adequate time to submit memoranda or make representations to the appointment committee. Fortunately, as we speak this morning, this has not happened. These requests have totally been breached.”
“The minority wishes to serve notice that it will not be part of any hasty process deliberately designed by the majority to deny the people of Ghana participation in the work of the appointment committee and Ghana’s democracy.
“Consistent with the minority’s earlier position, the caucus would not participate in the vetting of any ministerial nominee that adds to the already bloated size of this Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government.”