Power crisis: VRA, GRIDco bosses must be sacked, not ECG boss - Group

Civil Society Group, Integrated Development Empowerment Centre, IDEC, has criticised the Government’s decision to dismiss the Managing Director of power distributor Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).

The group says William Hutton-Mensah’s dismissal was needless, despite the current power crisis confronting the nation, because the company only distributes whatever amount of power is made available by producers Volta River Authority (VRA) and transmitters Ghana Grid Company (GRIDco).

Director of research and advocacy for IDEC Ghana Samuel Ahorklui Roberts told STARR NEWS the energy problem is the result of a leadership problem.

As far as the group is concerned, the bosses of VRA and GRIDco are those that must bite the bullet, rather than Hutton-Mensah.

“He is not the one producing power. VRA and GRIDco produce power, ECG is just a distributor of power so if the Government wants to actually do something, it should be able to go to GRIDco and VRA and cause the disappointment there, not the ECG boss”.

Staff of ECG have threatened to go on strike to solidarise with their dismissed boss if the President does not reverse his decision.

Two turbines of the Akosombo Dam have been shut down due to the low water level in the country’s main hydro power station.

VRA has said it cannot run all six turbines in the current circumstance, and has therefore proposed that Ghanaians conserve energy during the crisis period.

VRA has explained that running all the turbines to supply 900 Megawatts of power will mean the Dam would have to be shut down early next year – a situation that rather worsen the situation.

The current crisis has led to some angry consumers in various parts of the country – Accra and Kumasi – to threaten to burn down ECG installations.

President John Mahama has set up a new ministry of power to try and resolve the current energy crisis.