The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has attributed continuous power challenges to mismanagement of public funds by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to him, President Akufo-Addo’s government’s failure to pay Independent Power Generators (IPGs), the producers of electricity that support the state-owned Akosombo plant, is to blame for the current disruptions in power supply.
The North Tongu legislator claimed that his recent discussions with some independent power producers in the country revealed that the government owed them substantial money.
“We have a real problem at hand. I have been in talks with independent power generators, and the government owes them $1.6 billion in monthly invoices. If you look at what is at the PPA [Public Procurement Authority], it is over $2 billion, and that is frightening. The government negotiates with them, promising to pay over a four-year period. Even so, the negotiations they had with them since last year have not been honoured,” he said.
“The crisis we face now is due to the mismanagement of the economy, where our resources have been squandered on dubious deals. $12 million for Pwalugu, and we can’t find it; $12 million for the Agyapa deal, they can’t explain; $2.5 million for the Skytrain, and we can’t find the money; $2 million paid for Sputnik V, and we can’t find it; over $58 million for the National Cathedral, we can’t find it; the DRIP project, which has been inflated by over $100 million – that’s all they are doing with our money. If these resources, which have been directed towards corruption, had been used to pay these IPPs, we wouldn’t be in the situation we are in now,” Mr Ablakwa added in an interview on Joy FM.
Consequently, he called on the government to “stop the corruption and pay the independent power generators.”
According to Dr. Apetorgbor, the government owes $259 million to the Independent Power Producers through the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
In an interview on Tuesday, November 19, Dr Apetorgbor called on the government to urgently settle the arrears, stressing that failure to act could lead to significant disruptions in energy production and delivery.
“I can confirm that all is not well; if there is no intervention before Friday, November 22, I can tell you that by Monday three key power plants will be off the grids. It is a serious matter; it is not fun,” he asserted. “We have received these assurances severally, so this can’t sway us. We are resolute.”