General News of Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Source: starrfmonline.com

‘Won Gbo’ demo: NPP MPs desert Parliament

Only two New Patriotic Party Members of Parliament today, Wednesday February 18 2015, showed up in the House as many of them joined the party’s ongoing ‘Won Gbo’ demonstration in Accra.

According to Starr News’ Kobby Gomez Mensah, MP for Dormaa Central, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu `who was one of the two MPs who represented the minority told the Speaker that their colleagues will return to the chamber after the demonstration.

The NPP is using the protest to express the frustration of Ghanaians to President John Mahama about the current energy crisis.

Pressure group OccupyGhana has also given its blessings to the ‘won gbo’ demonstration.

Ghana is currently shedding between 440 and 650 Megawatts of power during off-peak and peak periods as a result of a production deficit.

The production shortfall has come about due to poor hydrology of the three main hydro-electric power stations – Akosombo, Bui and Kpong – as well as lack of gas from the West Africa Gas Pipeline in Nigeria to supply gas to various thermal plants in the country.

As a result, both domestic and commercial consumers are bearing the brunt of the crisis, which Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor recently promised will end by December 2015.