The Ministry of Energy has defended recent statements made by sector Minister Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh regarding the issuance of a load-shedding timetable.
Widely known as NAPO, the Minister’s remarks dismissing the necessity for such a timetable have been strongly condemned by the public but have been reaffirmed by the ministry.
The Minister on Saturday dismissed calls for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to issue a load-shedding timetable, amidst intermittent power disruptions commonly known as ‘dumsor.’ He asked people demanding a load-shedding timetable to release their timetable.
But in a statement released on March 26, the ministry clarified that the Minister’s comments had been intentionally distorted to falsely depict Opoku Prempeh as an insensitive person.
“The minister dismissed the need for a load management timetable because in his view and as indicated by the Electricity Company of Ghana, the cause of the temporary power challenged are being addressed. The minister in the clip said ‘addressing the issues is not an event’, which is rightly so.”
Below is the full statement.
The Ministry of Energy has taken notice of the spin around an interview granted Joy News by Energy Minister, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh on the margins of the inauguration of the New Patriotic Party’s Ashanti Regional Campaign Team last Sunday. The rather innocuous statements of the Minister as captured by the Interview have been distorted to portray him as being insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians and thus, we wish to avert the minds of Ghanaians to the context of the Interview and clarify as follows:
1. The Minister dismissed the need for a load management timetable because in his view and as indicated by the Electricity Company of Ghana, the causes of the temporary power challenges are being addressed. The Minister in the clip said, “Addressing the issues is not an event” which is rightly so.
2. The Minister’s comparison of the current energy sector to the one under former President John Mahama, where Ghanaians reeled under pervasive ‘Dumsor’ for 4 years, comes on the back of recent similar calls in the media space by the NDC Flagbearer for a load management time table. This call, in the view of the Minister is borne out of the quest to score cheap political points. In fact, a careful listen of the interview will show that, the comparative template was set by the interviewer.
3. In the said clip, the Minister is clearly seen straining his voice because of the obviously noisy background, in order to be heard by his interviewer. This has unfortunately been misconstrued. Dr. Prempeh is known to be very media friendly.
4. The Honourable Minister has always been sensitive to the plight of the Ghanaian people and continues to ask for their forbearance, as has always been the case when challenges relative to power stability emerge
5. The Ministry wishes to assure the general public that the Ministry as the policy maker and mother agency of the various power sector actors is working assiduously with these agencies to ensure that the temporary challenges are resolved.
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