Govt throws weight behind innovations to boost electricity supply

Accra, April 27, GNA - Government on Tuesday threw its weight behind small scale technologies and inventions meant to facilitate the development and improvement of electricity and other energy supply.

President John Evans Atta Mills has therefore directed the Ministry of Energy to contact two young inventors- David Dagba, 22 and Gideon Agyare, 28, who have come out with new inventions on electricity, and offer them the necessary assistance to pilot their findings. President Mills gave the directive when the two, accompanied by ace comedian Kweku Sintim-Misa, paid a courtesy call on him at the Osu Castle in Accra on Tuesday. The call was at the invitation of the President who registered his fascination at the new technologies of the two young men who appeared on a show by Mr Sintim-Misa, affectionately called KSM, on television.

David has come out with salt powered batteries while Gideon has successfully converted outboard motors using pre-mix fuel into battery operated engines. President Mills congratulated the two young men on their findings, and described them as trailblazers, who are not ordinary to find. He commended their desire to pilot their findings, which he said would lead to job creation and assured them of Government assistance. President Mills stressed that Government would not look down on such findings, but would provide the necessary encouragement and assistance so that such talents would be put to the advantage of the nation. He recalled that solar powered panels were used for some street lights at Legon, some time ago, and indicated that Government was looking for somebody to put up a factory to provide solar voltage panels.

President Mills commended Mr Sintim-Misa for not only creating comedies on politics on his shows but also bringing out such talent to the public's eye. Mr Sintim-Misa expressed joy that at least the show had caught the attention of the public. Both Mr Dagba and Mr Agyare appealed for assistance to pilot their findings.

Mr Dagba told journalists later that he was a former Arts Student of Dofor Secondary School, at Juapong, near Akosombo in the Eastern Region and Ho Secondary School, but was forced to drop out of school, for financial reasons, when he lost his father during the second year. He said though he moved to Accra to do odd jobs, he followed his fascination, and carried out research into the phenomenon that made salt sparkle when fire was applied and came out with the new technology. He said he presently had a number of bags of salt that he was working on and could employ about 200 people for the pilot project. Last week Government announced that it had secured a $520 million loan-$350 million from the Exim Bank of the US and $170 million grant from the China Exim Bank- to expedite the extension of electricity to 2,200 communities across the country. 27 April 10