Mahama creates new power Ministry; Dr Kwabena Donkor as Minister-Designate

President John Mahama has created a new ministry of Power and nominated Dr Kwabena Donkor, MP for Pru East and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, as Minister-Designate for the newly created Ministry.

A statement signed by Chief of Staff, Prosper Bani said the new Minister, when approved by Parliament after being vetted by the Appointments Committee, is expected to bring some level of focus in the power sector.

“…The President expects the new Ministry to bring about a sharper focus on the generation, supply and efficiency of power to match the growth the economy is experiencing.”

“…The new Minister will be expected to mobilise all human and material resources available to resolve the current challenges facing the power sector,” the statement said.

Dr Kwabena Donkor a few weeks ago questioned Government’s over-reliance on Nigeria for gas to power the country’s thermal plants.

He has always advocated that Ghana should plan for its energy sector without taking gas from the West African pipeline into consideration.

The country is currently battling with an energy crisis which power producers, the Volta River Authority and Distributor ECG have said could get worse before it gets better.

The President is currently restructuring the energy sector to make it more efficient.

He started by dismissing the Managing Director of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), William Hutton-Mensah and replacing him with a new person.