The Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy and Member of Parliament for the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency, John Abdulai Jinapor has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party administration of engaging in perceived deceptive tactics by rebranding the Ameri Power Plant, originally procured under the leadership of former President John Dramani Mahama.
The former Deputy Minister of Energy and Power under the erstwhile Mahama’s administration in a scathing critique, strongly asserted that the current government’s failure to achieve any meaningful progress in the energy sector has attributed to its desperate attempt to renaming the Ameri Power Plant as the Kumasi 1 Thermal Plant (K1TPP) in a bid to mislead Ghanaians.
‘Having failed to achieve anything meaningful in the Energy sector, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government have done the unthinkable by rebranding the Ameri plant procured under the able leadership of former President John Dramani Mahama under a new name called Kumasi 1 Thermal Plant (K1PP) , all in a desperate attempt to deceive Ghanaians”
John Abdulai Jinapor, MP Yapei-Kusawgu
He posited that the Ameri Power Plants, comprising 10 units with a total capacity of 250 megawatts each, were a significant addition to Ghana’s energy infrastructure as the handiwork of the National Democratic Congress administration under former President John Dramani Mahama.
Honourable Jinapor further recounted that the Ameri Plants are noted for their modular and versatile nature which is capable of generating power even with limited gas supply, thus addressing critical energy needs in the country.
While touting the initiative by former President John Dramani Mahama as visionary, Honorable Jinapor also accused the New Patriotic Party administration of merely relocating the units to Kumasi in the Ashanti region instead of building upon the achievements of the previous administration.
‘Recommissioning’ of Ameri Power Plant
Furthermore, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for the Yapei-Kusawgu constituency criticized the government’s plans to recommission what he described as the rebranded Ameri plants on April 17th, 2024, although they were originally commissioned under former President John Dramani Mahama’s tenure.
He vehemently condemned the move by the current government, describing it as a blatant attempt to appropriate the accomplishments of the Mahama’s administration and present them as the achievements of the current government.
The Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament further vowed to vehemently oppose any efforts by the current government to distort the truth regarding the Ameri Power Plants to mislead the Ghanaian public.
He called upon fellow lawmakers and concerned citizens to join him in holding the administration accountable for its actions, stressing that such “deceitful tactics should no longer be tolerated by the Ghanaian populace”.
Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Bongo Constituency, Edward Abambire Bawah known for his vocal stance on national issues, has also expressed reservations regarding the move by the ruling government to relocate the Ameri Power Plant to Kumasi.
The Bongo lawmaker commenting on the trending issue underscored the perceived disconnect between renaming an existing entity and attributing it to the current administration.
He emphasized that such actions risk undermining the credibility and transparency of governmental processes asserting that while advancements in the energy sector are commendable, they should be achieved through tangible actions and not merely through superficial changes.
The decision by the current government to rename the Ameri Power Plant as the Kumasi 1 Thermal Plant (K1TPP) has reignited discussions about accountability, transparency, and public trust in governance.
Some critics argue that renaming Ameri to K1TPP without substantial changes or improvements raises questions about the government’s commitment to addressing fundamental issues within the energy sector.
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