Ghana: Tullow Builds KG Facility For Aboadze-Abuesi Community To Complete Sustainable Kindergarten Project

Tullow Ghana, a subsidiary of Tullow Oil Plc., has completed its 12th Sustainable Kindergarten project at the Aboadze-Abuesi Basic School in the Shama District of the Western Region. The new Aboadze-Abuesi KG block is a two-classroom with a playground, a canteen and a washroom. The project in Aboadze-Abuesi, like the previous projects, included the training of teachers in the Montessori training style. Since 2011, Tullow Ghana has embarked on the Sustainable Kindergarten Project designed to help communities with basic education. The project is the pre-tertiary component of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) initiative which forms part of Tullow’s larger educational support programme that spans from kindergarten through university education. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the facility, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of Tullow Ghana, Cynthia Lumor, stated that the construction of these kindergartens and the training of teachers formed part of Tullow’s pledge to positively impact communities through educational development initiatives. “Over the last ten years, we have in line with our shared prosperity programme focused on educational development initiatives that are intended to positively impact communities, especially the ones within our operational area. This has taken us on a journey to construct 11 other kindergartens in Western and the Central Regions, trained 31 KG teachers in GES approved pedagogy, equipped 12 headteachers with skills in the management of the Montessori system of education and graduated over 2200 from all 12 KGs; just because we believe that a successful educational career is dependent on our children having solid foundations,” she said. She emphasised that the educational initiatives are geared toward developing interest and skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education from the kindergarten level to the tertiary level. While acknowledging the role and support of the community in the construction of the two-classroom KG facility, Cynthia Lumor encouraged all in the community to “demonstrate positive maintenance culture by supporting with the fixing of little things on this facility when the need arises.” The DMD also expressed gratitude to its partner, Sabre Education for putting up a beautiful edifice for the community. According to her, Tullow Ghana’s partnership with Sabre Education has proven to be valuable. On his part, the Member of Parliament for Sekondi Constituency and Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew E. Mercer, who served as the special guest of honour at the occasion commended Tullow Ghana for implementing a project that would give Ghanaian children a head-start in STEM education. “This facility will not only be a place to study but to help them nurture and develop an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics related careers. Ghana’s energy sector needs more engineers and technicians with the requisite knowledge to contribute to its development. In cognizance of this, the government under the leadership of His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic, has rolled out the free Senior High School policy to give every child across the country the opportunity to possess quality education. “The Tullow Sustainable Kindergarten project is, therefore, in line with the government’s objective to build capacity and enhance access to basic education in the country. With a carefully planned layout of the school and a robust pedagogy, I am confident that teaching and learning in this facility will be exciting and insightful. ”I also seize this opportunity to thank Tullow Ghana and its partners for the support they are giving to the free SHS policy through the construction of modern classroom blocks in selected Senior High Schools in Ghana. Other initiatives like the construction of the Jubilee technical training centre and Takoradi Technical Training University and the continuous collaboration of government institutions to provide training to businesses in the oil and gas sector is a clear indication of Tullow Ghana’s commitment to the development of talents and human capacity in the country,” he indicated. The Minister also used the opportunity to urge other organisations to emulate Tullow’s commitment to working with the government to develop the talent and the capacity of the country. The Executive Director at Sabre Education, Tony Dogbe, described the facility as Tullow’s gift to the community and thus urged the local authorities and the community to maintain the complex and keep it in good shape. Headmistress of the school, Mrs Vida Nana Bentum expressed gratitude to Tullow Ghana and Sabre Education when she said: “The names of Tullow and Sabre will forever be indelibly imprinted in the minds of children in particular and the community as a whole for this kind gesture. You have demonstrated that you care. I, therefore, wish to appeal to you, to adopt us and provide us with other facilities such as an ICT centre and Science lab that could enhance teaching and learning.” Present at the commissioning of the facility was the District Chief Executive of Shama, Ebenezer Dadzie, Tony Aidoo, staff of Aboadze-Abuesi Basic School, a representative from the District Education Office, officials of Tullow Ghana and Sabre Education. The 12 completed kindergartens are located in the following communities; Abuesi Aboadze Community in the Shama District, Ayensudo (Komenda Municipality)-Cape Coast, Akwidaa, Ahanta East District, Punpuni, Ahanta East DistrictKrisan/Sanzule, Ellembele District, New Bankata, Ellembele District, Ehunyame, Nzema East Metropolis, Domunli, Nzema East Metropolis, Benin, Nzema West District, Amenano, Shama, Shama District, Holy Child Teachers Training College, STMA and Nkontompo community in STMA.     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: NEDCo Restores Power Supply In Korblimahigu After Appeals By PURC, Ya-Naa

The Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) has restored the power supply to Koblimahigu, a suburb of Tamale, after several days of keeping the residents in darkness. The restoration of the power supply follows a request by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) to the power distributor after Ya-Naa Abukari II, the King and Overlord of the Dagbon State, made a passionate appeal for the power to be restored. NEDCo cut power supply to the area following recent attacks on its staff by some residents of the area. A statement issued by Edward Kingstony Boduah, Northern Regional Manager of PURC to NEDCo, said: “The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission requests NEDCo to immediately restore electric power to the community to smoothen the ongoing engagement process for installation of the Split Meters.” In a speech read by His Royal Highness Zangbalun Naa Yakubu II, Paramount Chief of Zangbalun Traditional Area, on behalf of King and Overlord of Dagbon State, Ya-Na Abukari II, on Tuesday, he condemned the attacks on the staff of NEDCo by some of the residents of Korblimahigu. The King, who frowned on the actions of the residents, also expressed unhappiness about NEDCo for disconnecting the community from the national grid because of the misconduct of a few people in the area. “I call on the Managing Director of NEDCo, as a way of urgency, to immediately restore power supply to Korblimahigu area without any further delay,” he stated.         Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Boost For ECG’s Operations As MiDA Officially Hands Over US$ 8.5Million Utility Geographic Information System

The Millennium Development Authority, MiDA, has inaugurated a Utility Geographic Information System at a cost of US$8.5 million at the project office of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Accra to support the company’s operations. The project is part of modernising the Utility Operations Activity, one of four project activities making up the ECG Financial and Operational Turnaround Project (EFOT). The utility GIS provides a digital platform and tools for ECG to plan, manage and efficiently operate its network to meet global utility management standards. With the GIS, ECG’s operations are expected to improve since the company currently relies on manual and stand -alone computerized systems to locate and identify assets and customers in the field and to design, construct and operate it’s network for planning and service delivery purposes. This approach to service delivery and operations is  time consuming and inefficient. In a speech delivered on her behalf at the inauguration of the GIS, Board Chair of MiDA, Prof Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidu said while the BSPs and LV Bifurcation projects have focused on improving the quality of power supply and customer experience, the GIS project supports ECG to become operationally more efficient.  “This Utility GIS will provide a digital platform and tools for ECG to plan, manage and efficiently operate its network to meet global utility management standards. “ECG’s services to the customer will improve from the reliability and quality of the power supplied to the time it takes to connect new applicants, read and deliver electricity bills, and respond to customer concerns,” she explained. The System will also enable ECG to increase the efficiency with which it collects its revenues, reduce technical and commercial losses, and plan and construct its networks. “We on the MiDA Board are hopeful that the System will be put to use and that the expected benefits from this massive investment will be realized,” she stressed. Prof Ntiamoah-Baidu expressed MiDA’s gratitude to the United States Government for their US$316m investment, which has been provided through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), to improve Ghana’s power sector. Board Chairman of ECG, Mr Keli Gadzekpo who outlined the benefits of GIS commended MiDA, MCC and Government of Ghana for the continuous support to ECG. He said ECG contributed  about US$1.5 million towards the project. Ghana’s Minister for Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh in a speech read for him by Mr Solomon Adjetey, Director for Power at the Ministry noted that with the Ghana Power Compact II, the country has witnessed important projects such as the Meter Management Systems (MMS), Construction of Substations / Bulk Supply Points(BSPs)(Pokuase and Kasoa), the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) amongst others which have enhanced the reliability of electricity distribution. The Minister noted that the GIS would help ECG attain an accurate asset inventory with electric poles, transformers, cable lines, substations and other electric utility assets if properly managed. Dr. Matthew Opoku charged ECG to address a plethora of challenges faced in the power distribution, including poor customer data handling/management, unsatisfactory responsiveness to customer complaints, high level of distribution losses , inadequate manpower to ensure efficient operations especially in remote areas and low collection rate contributing to recurrent financial losses. Dr. Samuel Kobina DeSouza, Board Member of MiDA Mr. Solomon Adjetey, Director for Power at the Ministry of Energy
Mr Keli Gadzekpo, Board Chairman of ECG
      Source: https://energynewsafrica.com  

Nigeria: Six Killed In Fuel Tanker Explosion

Six people have been confirmed dead after a fuel tanker explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, last Sunday, March 27, 2022. According to BBC, a motorbiker was caught in the flames. The explosion occurred after the fuel tanker collided head-on with another truck, resulting in the blaze which destroyed both vehicles.  Nigeria has seen frequent deadly road accidents and explosions involving fuel tankers in recent years. Road accidents in Nigeria are mostly blamed on bad roads, disregard for traffic regulations and poor maintenance of vehicles.     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Kenya’s EPRA Officials In Ghana To Tap Expertise In Petroleum Sector

Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) officials are in Ghana, West Africa, to understudy Ghana’s power and petroleum sector and learn from her success story. Led by Daniel Kiptoo, Director General of EPRA, the delegation visited Ghana’s petroleum downstream regulator, NPA, where the guest was taken through key operations of the latter. Welcoming them to the NPA head office in Accra, the capital of Ghana, the Chief Executive Officer of NPA, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, outlined some areas where the two countries could collaborate. The delegation would visit other allied institutions in the petroleum downstream sector while in Ghana. The visit was a replication of a similar visit by NPA officials in January this year. When contacted on WhatsApp on the purpose of their visit to Ghana, Daniel Kiptoo said: “We’re to benchmark with the Ghanaian authorities.” EPRA regulates the entire energy sector and has oversight responsibilities over both the petroleum upstream and downstream sectors, as well as electricity and other energy generation sources in Kenya, including renewable energy. Neighbouring countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo also import petroleum products through Kenya’s pipeline system. Kenya operates an efficient network of petroleum product pipelines connecting its port city of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi and other counties in the country.
Daniel Kiptoo, Director -General of EPRA , Kenya
  Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Nigeria: Adeoye Fadeyibi Takes Over As New MD Of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company

The Abuja Electricity Distribution Plc (AEDC) has appointed Mr Adeoye Fadeyibi as its new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer. This comes after the resignation of Engr Akinwumi Bada who served as the company’s Interim Managing Director since last year. Before joining AEDC, Fadeyibi was the Managing Director of Eko Electricity Distribution Company, (EKEDC), a Lagos-based electricity utility company, and is credited to have turned around the fortune of EKEDC by significantly reducing the company’s Aggregate, Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) losses, expanding its revenue base and delivering innovation in several aspects of the business.  He was also the pioneer Managing Director at Transcorp Power Ltd, Ughelli, Delta State, where he ramped up the generating company’s performance from 164MW to 634MW in 25 months. He joined Transcorp Power from General Electric where he had held several strategic roles with oversight for the Middle East and Africa. A fellow of several professional bodies, Fadeyibi obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York, SUNY Buffalo, New York, and the General Electric Power Systems University in Schenectady, New York, where he completed his training in turbine power systems and applied knowledge obtained towards developing the Global Turbines/Generator Field resources. Meanwhile, AEDC also announced the appointment of Engr Kassim Abdulahi Burkullu as its new Chief Technical Officer (CTO), replacing Mr Oluwafemi Zacchaeus who had served as the Interim Chief Technical Officer. Burkullu, a seasoned engineer and energy industry expert, brings over 25 years’ cognate experience spanning several sectors. He joined AEDC from Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO) where he was Head of Corporate Technical Operations Services. In a statement, the Chairman of the AEDC Board, Mr Victor Osadolor, said: “We are very delighted that both Fadeyibi and Burkullu are joining our company and bringing with them exceptional abilities and invaluable industry expertise. They will effectively complement the composition of the management team already in place. “These appointments are necessary steps in positioning AEDC towards efficiency in customer service delivery and ensuring the effectiveness of turn-around embarked upon by the new management of the company. We are convinced that with a combined industry experience of over five decades, the new executives are very capable of meeting the yearnings of millions of our customers who seek seamless power services,” Osadolor said. Commenting on his appointment, Fadeyibi said, “I must commend the management of AEDC and the previous MD for the work done so far and for the confidence reposed in me to help achieve the goals of this great organisation. I have studied the strategic focus of this business and with the full support of the board, we are sure to meet and even surpass our expectations for this great company.” The appointments are with immediate effect.   Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Nigeria: Over 20 Hoodlums attack Dangote Refinery, One Killed

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The Dangote Refinery in Nigeria has been attacked by 20 hoodlums with one of them reportedly killed by the police. The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the unfortunate incident in a statement that said 19 of the attackers managed to escape. The 650 barrels per day capacity refinery located at the Lekki Free Trade Zone area of Lagos State is expected to be commissioned this year. Benjamin Hundeyin, the Public Relations Officer of the Police Command, said the attack occurred on the early morning of Monday and police operatives engaged the hoodlums in exchange for fire. “Armed hoodlums numbering about twenty who gained access to the refinery through the lagoon side were repelled while attempting to cart away already-installed armoured cables in the refinery. “The hoodlums, on sighting security operatives, fled the scene. One of the hoodlums was hit in the ensuing gunfire and died on the way to the hospital. “Investigation has commenced arresting the fleeing attackers.” Security at the refinery has since been intensified.         Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Shirley Kum Of Vivo Energy Ghana Named Among Ghana’s Top 10 Women In PR 2021

Vivo Energy Ghana’s Corporate Communications Manager, Shirley Tony Kum, has been named among Ghana’s Top 10 Women in Public Relations (PR) in the fifth edition of the Women in PR Ghana ranking. Shirley has been recognised for this honour for the fourth time in a row among other great PR minds in the industry. The Women in PR Ghana ranking recognises public relations professionals who demonstrate value, agility and digital savviness to project their contribution to the industry and their respective companies. Shirley is that light that keeps shining at all corners. The year 2021 has been another remarkable and impactful career journey for Shirley and her organisation as reflected in their projects, campaigns and recognitions. From driving her company’s National Road Safety Campaign dubbed ‘Stop, Think & Drive’ to launching the Vivo Energy Community Digital Literacy Project and International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations, we can appreciate the strategic role of the communications function at Vivo Energy Ghana. Her works also highlight several activities targeted at their employees, customers, communities and other stakeholders. Shirley has led Vivo Energy Ghana (Shell Licensee) to win several awards and accolades, including being inducted into the Hall of Fame for Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the Ghana Oil and Gas Awards in 2021, and their ‘Stop, Think, & Drive’ Road Safety Campaign being adjudged winner of the Vivo Energy Group’s Reputation Award Category. Other recognitions won by her company include winning the Employee Communications Category of the 2020 SABRE Awards at the African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference in September 2021 and being adjudged the Most Promising Organization in Learning and Development Practice at the 2021 HR Focus Awards. Shirley continues to shine her light as an all-around senior communications executive through mentorship and speaking engagements. Shirley has spoken at several events including the Today’s Woman Empowerment Summit, Africa Corporate Lounge, UKGCC Press Freedom Day roundtable event, and mentored several young professionals at the Agrihouse Foundation AG-STUD Africa Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Boot camp, among others. In the year under review, Shirley was appointed a member of the Governing Council of the African University College of Communications (AUCC) and continues to serve as the Honorary Secretary of the Institute of Public Relations, Ghana. Shirley has demonstrated a solid record of accomplishment in effectively managing Vivo Energy Ghana’s reputation by demonstrating a deeper understanding of the synergy between the PR function and sales growth. “With all these achievements and more in the year 2021, we are proud to name her as one of our top 10 women,” the recognition announcement stated. Commenting on the award, Shirley congratulated her fellow Women in PR and said, “I am humbled by this recognition and I thank God for this feat. I see this as a challenge to do more for our profession, organization, partners and the entire PR ecosystem that supports our growth. Communication is an enabler for organisational growth and may this recognition inspire us to achieve business excellence while creating a shared value for our stakeholders including communities where we operate.” She also commended the Women in PR Ghana Team and urged them to keep up the good work.   Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

 

 

Nigeria: Akinwumi Resigns As AEDC Interim Managing Director

The Interim Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Engr Akinwumi BADA has allegedly resigned from his post. Nigeria-based Optimum Times reported Engr Akinwumi’s resignation, citing unnamed impeccable sources as confirming his resignation. According to the portal, Adeoye Fadeyibi, who is the Managing Director and CEO of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), has been appointed to head AEDC following the resignation of Engr Akinwumi Bada. The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) announced Bada Akinwumi as the Interim Managing Director of AEDC in December 2021 when the UBA Bank disengaged its previous management after KANN, which is the core investor failed to pay loans it secured from UBA. His appointment was approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the apex regulator of the power sector. Other members of the team were Sani Usman, Interim Chief Business Officer; Babajide Ibironke, Interim Chief Finance Officer; Donald Etim, Interim Chief Marketing Officer, and Femi Zacchaeus as Interim Chief Technical Officer. Chairman of NERC, Sanusi Garba, in approving the appointments, said the development is in pursuance of the earlier fit and proper review of BPE’s pool of nominees and the context of the business continuity framework of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI). NERC and BPE, in a joint statement signed by NERC Chairman, Sanusi Garba, and Director General of BPE, Alex Okoh, stated that there had been an ongoing dispute amongst competing factions of AEDC’s majority shareholder/core investor KANN Utility Company Limited (KANN). “The dispute eventually spilt over with the lender that provided the acquisition loan to KANN for the acquisition of majority shares during the privatisation exercise in 2013, over KANN’s inability to service its debt to the bank. “The United Bank for Africa (UBA) had acted as Mandated Lead Arranger, underwriting the entire facility of US$ 122 million (about N20 billion) for KANN utility acquisition of AEDC.” The statement further cited that the protracted disagreements among the core investors resulted in AEDC not only struggling to meet its obligations to the market under the terms and conditions of its licence but was also unable to meet its obligations to key stakeholders in the organisation, including staff. The statement stated that this culminated in the industrial action by members of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) which resulted in a total service disruption on December 6, for over 14 hours in AEDC’s network area.     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Rigworld International CEO Honoured

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rigworld International, an upstream oil and gas services provider in Ghana and West Africa, Dr. Kofi Amoah Abban, has been awarded for his contribution to the oil and gas sector in Ghana and beyond. He was awarded alongside 39 young African entrepreneurs from 16 countries operating in various sectors such as banking and finance, energy, agriculture, theatre and arts, journalism, health, fashion, law, sports management, technology and innovation. The awards ceremony that happened at the weekend at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra, the capital of Ghana, was organised by Xodus Communications Limited. The awards aimed at celebrating the achievements of young entrepreneurs. The Chief Executive Officer of Xodus Communications Limited, Richard Abbey Jnr, organiser of the event, said the objective of the Awards was to recognise and celebrate emerging leaders under the age of 40 who demonstrated exceptional leadership while proving to the upcoming youth of Africa that “excellence could be achieved at a very tender age.” He expressed excitement as the nominees emerged from 16 countries on the continent, saying that moving forward, “we would have over 30 countries participating in the awards scheme.” Mr Abbey added that the award was a means to market Africa to the world and show the world what the African continent was capable of.
Ghana: Tullow Plans To Drill Six New Wells In 2022
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Russia’s Oil Exports Slumped 26% Last Week

Russian oil exports fell last week, with average shipments of around 3.63 million barrels per day (bpd) between March 17 and 23, down by 26.4 percent compared to the previous week, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing industry data it had seen. While most Western countries—with the exception of the United States and the UK—have not imposed embargoes on Russian oil imports, many buyers in Europe and the West have tried to steer clear of Russian shipments amid concerns over future embargoes and/or sanctions, or as a “self-sanctioning” precaution amid public pressure to stop financing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. While seaborne exports out of Russia appear to be already hit by Western buyers’ reluctance to purchase Russian oil, Russia’s oil production was basically unchanged in the week March 17 through March 23, per Bloomberg calculations based on the industry data it has seen. Russian oil production averaged 11.08 million bpd in the week to March 23, down by just 0.3 percent compared to the week prior. Russia will have to shut in some of its oil production as it will not be able to sell all the volumes displaced from European markets to other regions, with Russian crude production falling and staying depressed for at least the next three years, Standard Chartered said earlier this month. International oil majors have already said they would stop buying Russian oil, either immediately or via a phase-out of such purchases by the end of this year at the latest. Meanwhile, exports of Russian crude oil to India have surged since the start of the month as sanctions bit in, forcing traders in Europe to avoid Russian cargos, the Financial Times reported in mid-March, citing data from Kpler. The average daily rate of Indian purchases of Russin crude has stood at 360,000 bpd, which was four times the rate of daily purchases last year.     Source:Oilprice.com

Ghana: Energy Transition Committee Tours Bui Generation Station

The members of the National Energy Transition Committee have visited the Bui Generating Station, managed by the Bui Power Authority (BPA), to familiarise themselves with the operations of the company. It was also to get a first-hand experience of BPA’s efforts toward achieving zero-carbon emission. The National Energy Transition Committee was led by the Deputy Minister for Energy, William Owuraku Addo, the Deputy Minister for Transport, Frederick Adom, and the Director of Renewable Energy at BPA, Wisdom Ahiataku-Togobo. They were received by the Directors of the BPA. A Deputy Director for Renewable Energy at BPA, Peter Acheampong, conducted the delegation around the 250MW peak solar farm being constructed in phases with a 50MW peak of the first phase connected to the grid and the 1MW floating solar. At the hydroelectric section, the delegation was given a tour by the Deputy Director, Power Operations, Cyril Ankrah, and Manager Operating, Susan Tiwaa Badu. The Deputy Energy Minister, William Owuraku Addo, was impressed with efforts by the Bui Power Authority towards achieving zero carbon emissions such as the solar and afforestation projects and hybridization of the Bui Dam. He said Bui Power Authority is indeed the leader in the renewable energy sector, adding that Bui is generating eventually no carbon footprints. The Deputy Minister further commended the Authority for employing and training young Ghanaian engineers to man the Bui Generating Station. He commended the CEO of the Authority, Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, for working towards achieving zero carbon emissions in the activities of the company. Source: https://energynewsafrica.com      

Ghana: Over 200 Residents Of Tamale Arrested For Power Theft

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Over 200 residents of Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana have been arrested for engaging in power theft and enjoying electricity freely on the blind side of Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo). They were arrested during a three-day exercise carried out by the Loss Control Unit of NEDCo supervised by a joint military-police task force. The exercise was carried out n Hausa Zongo, Sakasaka and Jisonayili, all suburbs of the Tamale Metropolis. Residents of Tamale are notoriously known for engaging in power theft, popularly known as an illegal connection. The staff of NEDCo have been threatened and attacked on several occasions. The unfortunate development forced the power distribution company to withdraw its field services. They, however, suspended the withdrawal of their services for two pending resolutions of three keys issues after the Executive Secretary of PURC, Dr Ishmael Ackah, and other officials of the Commission met the workers of NEDCo. A source told energynewsafrica.com that an estimated cost of the power illegally consumed by the 200 residents is GHS462,000 According to the source, the exercise would be continued in the coming days after the money had been retrieved from the residents.      Source: https://energynewsafrica.com

Ghana: Energy Sector CEOs, MDs, Others To Suffer 30% Pay Cut For Nine Months

Energy sector Managing Directors and Chief Executives Officers of state-owned institutions will from April 1, 2022, to December 2022 have their monthly salaries slashed by 30 per cent. This is part of a raft of measures being introduced by President Akufo-Addo’s administration to address the economic challenges faced by the debt-ridden West African nation. Ghana’s nominal debt to GDP, as of the end of November 2021 stood at 78.4 per cent. Food prices and the cost of fuel have been going up with many low-income earners lamenting over the situation. Amidst the economic challenges, there have been calls for the Ghana Government to go to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout, but the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo says that option would not be explored. Addressing a press conference Thursday, Ghana’s Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta said: “Cabinet approved that Ministers and the Heads of SOEs are to contribute 30 per cent of their salaries from April to December 2022 to the Consolidated Fund.” This would affect the CEOs of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Ghana National Gas Company, National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Petroleum Commission, Bui Power Authority (BPA), Volta River Authority (VRA), Petroleum Hub Development Corporation (PHDC), Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), GOIL Company Limited, Volta Aluminum Company and MDs of Electricity Company of Ghana, Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company Limited, Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Energy Commission and Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).     Source: https://energynewsafrica.com