Commenting on the failure of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to provide a load-shedding timetable despite the assurance given to the public by the Committee of Mines and Energy of Parliament, Lawyer Martin Kpebu noted that Ghanaian politicians have an integrity deficit.
He stated that the main problem with both the NDC and the NPP is the lack of integrity, emphasizing that the NDC was voted out of government in 2016 due to underperformance and dishonesty.
He, however, noted that with hindsight, the erstwhile NDC government is better than the incumbent NPP government.
He stressed that had either of the parties (NDC and NPP) who have steered the affairs of the nation in the Fourth Republic done better, Ghana would have been more properly developed than it currently is.
“We give you all the resources, the freebies. You get the best food, accommodation, [and] fuel, yet you can’t think. You are…excessively greedy… That is where the main problem is. It is the corruption… So what they are saying is that if this [load-shedding] timetable comes out it means they are sinking themselves… Election 2024 is around the corner”.
Martin Kpebu
Mr. Kpebu stated that per the view of energy experts, the problem with the energy sector is largely (70%) financial noting that the Dumsor issue back in 2015 was always financial.
He argued that, if the government pays off its debts to Nigeria, the energy generators will have access to gas, which can be used to produce power for the country.
He noted that gas is readily available in Nigeria and the only obstacle is the government’s lack of resources to make the payment.
Moreover, Mr. Kpebu stated that contrary to the opinion of HRM Osei Tutu II, privatizing the operations of the ECG will not solve the present issue of the energy sector. He noted that the sector’s problem does not stem from its model of operation.
“It’s about the integrity deficit. It is that greed. The stealing syndicate Kennedy Agyapong talked about. Members of this administration are stealing us blind… It’s not about Public or Private” – Martin Kpebu
Privatizing ECG.
Meanwhile, Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku, an energy expert, noted that due to a lack of timely notice from Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), ECG cannot provide a load-shedding schedule to inform the public beforehand.
He argued that contrary to the view of Mr. Kpebu, privatizing the ECG might actually work well for Ghanaians as private businesses are generally well-managed than state-owned businesses.
He noted that after the government’s venture with Power Distribution Services (PDS), a private entity, failed, the expectation was that the government would venture into other private partnerships to boost the operation of the energy sector.
“I have talked about diversifying most of these government institutions for so many years. There are so many institutions that I can list that I don’t see why government owns them 100%. It just doesn’t make sense”.
Kwadwo Nsafoah Poku
Mr. Edward Bawa, member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, noted that the argument that the issues of the power sector are localized problems is inaccurate as localized problems cannot permeate many places simultaneously.
“Localized problems mean that, for example, in my neighborhood, my transformer messed up and so the loads on that particular transformer would have gone off”. – Edward Bawa
He noted that ordinarily, localized problems are resolved within 30 minutes to an hour, emphasizing that, simultaneous power outages across the country cannot be considered localized problems.
Mr. Bawa noted that while bringing the private sector into the energy space will be a good initiative, the government’s role must not diminish due to private sector involvement.
He suggested that if the energy sector were to be privatized, the government would need to take on the role of not only a regulator but also a participant in the sector to address national security concerns.
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