The former Power Minister and Member of Parliament for Pru East Constituency in the Bono East Region, Dr Kwabena Donkor has chastised the Management of the Electricity Company of Ghana for donating two hundred (200) motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service.
Speaking in a media interview on Thursday, December 14 2023, the opposition National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Pru East expressed his disappointment over the decision by the management of the Electricity Company of Ghana to embark on such an exercise amidst its indebtedness.
According to Mr Donkor the Electricity Company of Ghana is owing several independent power-producing companies in the country which it has failed to settle, hence the decision to donate about two hundred motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service in such a time is untenable.
“ECG is in debt to the tune of billions of Cedis. Indeed two weeks ago, the Minister for Finance had to intervene to stop Sunon-Asogli from shutting down because of ECG’s indebtedness to IPPs. For an entity that cannot pay its debtors, they have no business donating motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service. It is at the height of irresponsibility on the part of the management of ECG to donate motorbikes when they cannot pay their bills. When they owe so much when the Minister of Finance had to step in and bail this country out of load shedding. Because Sunon-Asogli’s 560 megawatts would have thrown this country into load shedding”.
Dr Kwabena Donkor
Dr Kwabena Donkor further urged the Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and other relevant bodies to call the management of the Electricity Company of Ghana to order to avoid repetition of such action in the near future.
State Entities Urged To Be Productive And Profitable
Again, the former Minister of Power under the erstwhile Mahama administration, Dr Kwabena Donkor admonished the management of all state-owned institutions especially commercial entities such as the Electricity Company of Ghana to ensure that it is profitable in their respective operation.
He noted that the failure of such commercial entities to be productive and lucrative in their operation goes a long to impoverish the citizens in the country.
“If Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority had made the donation, I would have had no qualms about it because they are profitable. But for a loss-making entity that is throwing the future and security of this country into danger because of their indebtedness to go donating 200 motorbikes is the height of irresponsibility”
Dr Kwabena Donkor
Meanwhile, the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe has also expressed shock over the decision of the management of the Electricity Company Ghana to donate two hundred motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service amidst its indebtedness.
According to Mr Cudjoe, it would have been more justifiable if the management of the Electricity Company of Ghana had channelled its donations of two hundred motorbikes to the Ghana Police to some very important needs of Ghanaians.
“When your debtor goes spraying cash like an Arabian prince at a naming ceremony; But on a serious note crime would have been reduced drastically and society benefited more if part of such funds were channelled to providing adequate streetlights in crime-prone areas and our motorway”.
Franklin Cudjoe
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) donated 200 motorcycles to the Ghana Police Service on December 11, 2023, as part of its initiative to support law enforcement across the country.
A few ECG employees as well as members of the Police Management Board attended the donation, which was held at the National Police headquarters.
According to Mr. Keli Gadzekpo, the Electricity Company of Ghana Board Chairman, who led the delegation for the donation of the two hundred motorbikes to the Ghana Police Service, eight hundred additional motorcycles would be handed out in phases to the Ghana Police Service.
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