The National Democratic Congress Minority Caucus in Parliament has condemned the arrest of Ing. Mark Wiafe Asumani, the Ashanti Regional Area Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu and Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy, Honorable John Abdulai Jinapor in a statement described the arrest as an abuse of power orchestrated by the Ashanti Regional Minister.
“The Minority in Parliament has noted with utter shock and dismay the Rambo-style with which the Ashanti Regional Minister ordered for the arrest of Ing. Mark Wiafe Asumani, the Ashanti Regional Area Manager of the Electricity Company of Ghana, following the disconnection of power to the Kumasi Technical University as a result of the University’s inability to settle its outstanding debt of GHC 1.2 million owed to ECG”.
John Abdulai Jinapor
Honourable John Abdulai Jinapor further accused the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simeon Osei Mensah of a perceived display of arrogance and “unwarranted interference” in the affairs of the Electricity Company of Ghana in the region.
He chastised the Ashanti Regional Minister’s admission, as reported by several media outlets, of instructing the police to arrest and detain Mr Wiafe, citing dissatisfaction with ECG’s failure to notify him before disconnecting power to public institutions in the region.
The former Deputy Minister of Energy and Power under the erstwhile Mahama’s administration strongly asserted that the Ashanti Regional Minister, Honorable Simeon Osei Mensah has no right or authority to interfere in the work of the Electricity Company of Ghana with such a perceived level of arrogance.
He emphasized that such conduct on the part of the Ashanti Regional Minister is highly condemnable and regrettable, to say the least.
Criticisms of NPP’s Government
Moreover, Honorable John Abdulai Jinapor, the Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament criticized the ruling New Patriotic Party administration, particularly Vice President Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia, for the current government’s perceived mishandling of the ongoing energy crisis in the country.
He attributed the ongoing power crisis in the country to the governing New Patriotic Party administration’s perceived failure to procure fuel for the country’s thermal plants.
Honourable Jinapor while chastising the government for its perceived failure to address the ongoing power crisis, noted with deep concern the devastating impact the unreliable power supply, commonly referred to as “Dumsor,” is having on Ghanaians.
In addition, the Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu Constituency in the Savanah Region expressed grave concerns over the state of Ghana’s economy, highlighting the depreciation of the Ghanaian Cedi and its ripple effects on other economic indicators, including the country’s debt situation and the energy sector challenges.
In a direct call to action, Honorable John Abdulai Jinapor urged President Akuffo-Addo to admonish the Ashanti Regional Minister to refrain from further intimidation of staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana.
Honorable Jinapor emphasized that the Minority Caucus in Parliament stands firmly behind the staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana and the general workers union in the country in the discharge of their mandate.
He underscored the Minority Caucus in Parliament’s commitment to ensure that justice is served, calling an end to what the caucus perceives as the current government’s attempts to stifle dissent and evade accountability.
Honorable John Abdulai Jinapor concluded the statement by rebuking the Ashanti Regional Minister, for what he describes as a “monumental failure” in administering the region.
The arrest of Ing. Mark Wiafe Asumani, the Electricity Company of Ghana’s Area Manager for the Ashanti Region stemmed from the disconnection of power to Kumasi Technical University due to the university’s failure to settle its outstanding debt of GHC 1.2 million owed to ECG.
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