STATEMENT: NPP Insists�Stop The Propaganda & Work!!!

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) wants the ruling government to "sit up and work" and cease its constant "propaganda" since "Ghanaians have suffered too much" as a result of their ineptitude. In a statement issued in reaction to a rebuttal by the Energy Ministry on a press release issued by the opposition party's Communication Director and an earlier press conference held by the Minority in Parliament, Nana Akomea, lashed out; "a whole three and half years into their tenure (June 2012), the country was plunged into �dumso-dumso�. Two and half years after (December 2014), we are still suffering �dumso-dumso�....Today, it is getting worse. Even the Industrial Areas are now going to be subjected to the Dumso-Dumso, in this peak period of Christmas and New Year." The Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) at a press conference last Monday, accused the current administration of poorly handling the affairs of the energy sector. The press conference which was addressed by the Minority Spokesperson on Energy, K.T. Hammond stated that �the energy sector is so riddled with corruption, inefficiency, indecision, self-interest, misguided and inappropriate policies that it has become a drain on the economic transformation of the country�. The party's Communication Team later followed it up with a press release asking the NDC to apologise to Ghanaians for the hardship they had brought on them and their businesses. According to a statement signed by the Director of Communications of the NPP, the party takes exception to the assertion by the current Minister of Energy, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, that the NPP, while in government, did not add a megawatt to the electricity generation capacity of the country. To avoid such misinformation, the statement detailed 11 power projects that had been completed during the then President Kufuor administration and those that were still under construction when his tenure ended. "the VRA Plant-Tema (funded by NPP government) with a capacity of 126 megawatts that was commissioned in 2008, the Mines Reserve Plant (funded by mining companies with government support) with a capacity of 80 megawatts, the VRA ATHOL Plant- Tema- with a capacity of 50 megawatts- commissioned in mid-2009, the Emergency Plant- Tema (Funded by government) with a capacity of 120 megawatts, the Asogli Plant, Tema (funded by a private investor with government support) with capacity of 200 megawatts, the Bui Hydroelectric with a capacity of 400 megawatts...," portions of the statement read. But in a sharp riposte, the Energy Ministry described as unfortunate, accusations that the country�s energy sector is in crisis and is being destroyed by the Mahama led administration. Head of Communications at the Energy Ministry, Edward Bawa, disputed claims by the minority in Parliament that one billion dollars of oil revenue has not been properly accounted for saying, every single penny has been accounted for under the Petroleum Revenue Management Act. But the NPP Communications Director insists that "the country that was handed to the NDC in 2009 was not suffering �Dumso-Dumso�." Read the full statement below.... NPP insists� STOP THE PROPAGANDA AND WORK TO END �DUMSO-DUMSO� We take notice of Mr. Edward Bawa�s rejoinder to our statement on developments in the energy sector during the NPP�s tenure. Mr. Bawa styles himself as a Public Relations Officer, a Civil Servant. We believe that the tenor of his rejoinder portrays him more as a political spokesman than a civil service public relations officer. We are happy for one thing. He agrees that 80MW Mines Reserve Plant was commissioned during NPP�s time in 2007. So, we wonder where he was when his Minister was all over the place saying there was not a single MW commissioned during the NPP�s time. In our statement, we listed both the energy plants that had been completed and those that were still under construction. We insist that, apart from the 80MW Mines Reserve Plant, the Akosombo Retrofit project completed in 2005, added 108MW to our energy generation capacity. The 126MW Tema T1 was completed and was on trial commercial operation in January 2009. In addition, the Gas pipeline project (WAPCO) from Nigeria was a major energy infrastructure project completed by the NPP. The conversion of the onion bulbs into energy saving bulbs in 2006/2007 saved the country 126MW of power generation. The Atuabo Gas Plant is now possible because of the Jubilee Oil discovery in 2007. Mr. Bawa�s statement talks about the commissioning of TT1 in 2010, TT2 in 2010, SENIT in 2012 and Bui in 2013. All of these were started much earlier during the NPP�s tenure for it to be possible for the NDC to be commissioned at the time that they were commissioned. Ghanaians should still note that, the country that was handed to the NDC in 2009 was not suffering �Dumso-Dumso�. A whole three and half years into their tenure (June 2012), the country was plunged into �dumso-dumso�. Two and half years after (December 2014), we are still suffering �dumso-dumso�. Today, it is getting worse. Even the Industrial Areas are now going to be subjected to the Dumso-Dumso, in this peak period of Christmas and New Year. The government must sit up and work. Ghanaians have suffered too much. The propaganda must stop. Signed Nana Akomea (Communications Director)