Ghana: Energy Ministry Punches Opposition NDC Over PDS Assertions

Ghana’s Ministry of Energy has rubbished claims by the country’s largest opposition party, NDC, that the government conspired with cronies and used the Power Distribution Services Ghana (PDS) to rob the nation.

According to the Ministry, the decision by the government to terminate PDS’s concession agreement with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) was to protect the interest of Ghana, contrary to claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Power Distribution Services Ghana (PDS) took over the distribution and retail services of ECG on March 1, 2019, as result of the private sector participation under the Ghana Power II spearheaded by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).

However, the Government of Ghana, led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, terminated the deal due to what it described as fundamental and material breaches of the agreement.

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At a press conference addressed by the National Communication Officer of the opposition NDC, Sammy Gyamfi said the Akufo-Addo-government shamefully conspired to bend the rules for PDS by changing the key requirement of a bank guarantee to a less liquid instrument, an insurance guarantee, thereby, jeopardising the assets of ECG and the interest of Ghanaians.

“This infamous and nation-wrecking decision was taken by high ranking government officials including the Vice President of the Republic, representing Akufo-Addo at a meeting at the Jubilee House on 19th February, 2019,” Mr Gyamfi claimed.

The NDC claimed that within the the eight months PDS took over the distribution and retail services of ECG, it raked in GHc 1.5 billion but said the government had failed to ensure that PDS accounted for the revenue.

The NDC party served notice to prosecute all the officials of PDS should Ghanaians give them the opportunity to return to power after the December 7 polls.

However, reacting to the NDC’s observations, the Ministry of Energy in a statement signed by Nana Kofi Oppong Damoah, expressed shock at the belated attempt by the NDC to rewrite the facts of the matter.

“On the issue of fraud, we wish to quote a part of the conclusions of the FTI Report which they have very much relied on: ‘We have not seen any documents that would suggest that, as of March 1, 2019, PDS, Cal Bank, Donewell and/or personnel from MiDA should have questioned the validity of the Payment Securities. We further note that officials from Al Koot confirmed to K&L that the stamp applied on the Acknowledgement and Agreement page of the Payment Securities is that of Al Koot. ‘They further confirmed that the signatures are that of Al Nouri and Fadi Danghouth, who are employees of Al Koot,’.”

“This statement, therefore, shows that on the face of the documentation, all was well. It was only as a result of the continuing due diligence of Government led by ECG, that the fundamental breaches were discovered. How the NDC construes this to mean that Government conspired to rob the state of its assets remains unimaginable.”

Source: www.energynewsafrica.com