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An energy expert has challenged President John Mahama’s assurance that the current shortfall in power is temporary, stressing that the days of load shedding are back.
Executive Director of Institute of Energy and Climate Change Policy (IECP) Dr Mutaka Alolo, says the measures being put in place by government to deal with the current power challenge are short term solutions which would not address the problem.
“It is obvious that we are back where we were before and most people said it in the past that temporary solutions that they brought wouldn’t last and that is what we are experiencing now,” Dr Alolo told Joy News.
For about one month now, the country has been experiencing a shortfall in electricity, resulting in unannounced black outs in many parts of the country.
Individuals and businesses across the country have been complaining over the power outages, fearing that the country has returned to the days of a severe loading shedding schedule some six months ago.
Energy experts and businesses have called on the power distributor, Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), to declare dumsor – or scheduled load shedding – and publish a corresponding timetable to regulate the process.
However, speaking at a ceremony to mark Idr Fitr at the Independence Square Wednesday, the President said government will not declare another load shedding despite challenges with securing fuel to power generation plants.
President Mahama blamed the intermittent power cuts on delays in taking delivery of crude oil from Nigeria to power thermal plants.
He said he has ordered the Bulk Oil Storage Company to keep at least a month’s supply of crude oil in the future to forestall the reccurrence of the problem.
But Dr Alolo says the President’s assessment of the situation is not accurate.
“What we are experiencing now, for instance, the crude they claim to be importing, if it comes and it finishes again it becomes another problem and there will be load shedding again. Those are not solutions to our problems,” Dr Alolo said.
He asked government to admit the reality of the problem and release a corresponding load shedding timetable to guide power consumers.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
