President Kufuor returns from Benin

Accra, Feb. 13, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor returned to Accra this evening from the Republic of Benin, where he participated in the inauguration of an energy interconnectivity project for Benin and Togo.

Mr Andrew Awuni, Presidential Spokesperson and Press Secretary and some government officials accompanied the President. Mr Awuni told journalists on arrival that the project, the result of an earlier agreement between Nigeria, Benin and Togo had a capacity of 600 megawatts.

He said it would enable Ghana to tap into the Nigerian power system, saying "almost immediately we have help coming from Nigeria." But Mr Awuni explained that technical men were working towards ensuring the smooth tapping of energy from Nigeria to Ghana by February 23. Ghana already supplies 80 mega watts of power to Benin and Togo, which could be retained with the two countries receive energy from Nigeria.

Mr Awuni said another agreement with Cote d'Ivoire was soon to yield Ghana 120 megawatts.

He said this formed part of the government's determination to resolve the energy crisis facing the country, adding that the technical team was making arrangements to ensure that there were no power cuts from March 1 to March 14, saying "this is besides government effort. The President was met on arrival by the Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Ministers of State, Inspector General of Police Patrick Acheampong and the Chief of Defence Staff Lieutenant General J B Danquah.