Atta Mills tours Akosombo Dam

Akosombo, April 12, GNA - Professor John Atta Mills, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said it was time government accepted that it was its policies and inactions that have led to the energy crisis rather than resorting to attacks and insults to deflect responsibility.

He said instead of heaping insults on those who attempt to comment on the crisis the government must declare the seriousness of the situation and refrain from unduly raising people's expectation as to when the crisis would be over.

Prof Mills, the former Vice President, said contrary to the government's assertions that the crisis was nearing its end, information on the ground indicated the crisis would not be over soon.

Addressing the media after touring the Akosombo Hydro-Electric Generating Station on Wednesday, Prof Mills said he wondered why some state officials continue to misinform the public about the true story of the energy situation and appealed to the government to come out with a clear statement on the issue.

"Neither insults nor intimidation can prevent the NDC from putting the searchlight on government's role in the crisis."

In Professor Mills' entourage were, Dr Kwame Ampofo, the minority spokesperson on energy, the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Kwabena Adjei, the National Organizer, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and Mr Doe Adjaho, the Member of Parliament of Ave Avenor.

Led by Mr Kirk Koffi, the Director of Hydro Generation Department of the Volta River Authority, Prof Mills toured all the major sections of the facility that used to produce the bulk of the nation's energy but is now facing one of its worse moments following low water inflow into its reservoir.

Prof Mills said the state of affairs at the plant confirmed the earlier stance taken by the party at a recent news conference that the NPP has since rebuffed.

He said it was irrefutable the significant efforts made by the NDC government to shore-up the energy needs of the country including a retrofitting exercise began in the late 1990s through to the early part of 2000 despite desperate efforts by the NPP to counter the claim. Prof Mills said the desire of the party in highlighting the energy crisis was not borne out of malice or mischief but out of a deep conviction to resuscitate the faltering energy sector by placing at the disposal of the nation the wealth of experience it had in that field. Some of the achievements the NDC government chalked in that field during its tenure include the conclusion of proposals for the construction of the Bui Dam, the retrofitting of the turbines at the Akosombo Generating Plant as well as the development of the Effaso and Tano fields.

The NPP, Prof Mills said, should be willing to learn from the experiences of others.

The minority spokesperson on energy, Dr Ampofo, said he was certain that there would have been no crisis if the NDC was still in power since at the time of leaving office, the NDC led administration had installed facilities capable of generating 1,700 megawatts of energy when the nation needed only 1,400 at the time. 12 April 07