Ghana’s Minister for Energy, John-Peter Amewu, is convinced the government led by President Akufo-Addo, has managed the country’s power sector more efficiently than the previous government did, and has, thus, asked Ghanaians to maintain the governing party in the upcoming general elections.
He noted that when the West African nation’s largest opposition party, National Democratic Party (NDC), was in power between 2008 and 2016, Ghana was thrown into power crisis for a period of five years.
Mr Amewu said the five years’ power crisis affected businesses and resulted in loss of lives.
Describing the opposition NDC as a party that “is in favour of the power crisis,” Mr Amewu said stability in the power sector ensures economic growth, as well as provides decent sources of livelihood.
He explained that it is for this reason that the current administration, under President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration, worked hard to ensure that the intermittent power supply witnessed under the previous administration became a thing of the past.
“Any Ghanaian who will like to return the country to the era of power crisis is not wishing this country any good,” he stated.
Mr Amewu gave the caution when he joined President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to commission a 6.54MW peak solar power park constructed by the Volta River Authority in Lawra in the Upper West Region.
Mr Amewu commended Volta River Authority (VRA), the consultant, Tractebel Engineering, and the contractor, Elecnor S.A from Spain.
The project is the first phase of a 17MW solar power park funded by KfW, a German Development Bank, with counterpart funding of eight million Euros from the Government of Ghana.
Mr Amewu said he was extremely happy to see a dream become a reality due to the enormous benefits that would bring to the people of Lawra and its environs.
According to Mr Amewu, the project is a bold step taken by the Government of Ghana under its Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP), in shaping Ghana’s energy sector especially with regards to doubling the country’s efforts of scaling up the production of renewable energy as well as helping to reduce the risks of climate change.
He said his Ministry would continue to encourage and support grid connected solar projects in Northern Ghana to take advantage of of the good solar energy potential.
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He hinted that the Renewable Energy Amendment Bill is currently before Cabinet for consideration and approval by Parliament.
Mr Amewu explained that the Bill is intended to abolish the high feed in tariff scheme of renewable energies and provide for the future utility scale solar photovoltaic (PV) to be procured through competitive bidding.