NDC Secretary Cautions ECG: Rightly Update The Prez On The Load Shedding Management

The Ashanti regional secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Yamin has cautioned the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to well abreast the President of the their sector prior to the State of the Nation Address schedule on Thursday, February 21. According to Yamin, management of the ECG must give the president a vivid report on when the power rationing will successfully end, but failure to do so; he called on the President to terminate the appointment of the ECG officials. �I am expecting that they (the ECG) will give the President the right information for him (President) to tell the people on the day of his address. So if they give the President by tomorrow, by March, by April, there wouldn�t be any blackout in the country, like what President Kufour said some years back, which we are still experiencing the blackout,� he said. Adding; �If that thing happens, I think the President must take a bold decision and sack these people (the ECG) to let the Ghanaian public know that you cannot take the heart of the people for granted.� Joseph Yamin was quick to say he is not calling an urgent removal of the ECG officials but the President must not hesitate do so if there is a need to do so. �For now I am not saying there should be an immediate termination of contracts even though I am requesting for that. If the President sacks the heads of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), I will be the happiest person on earth because they have done nothing to help the system and the people of Ghana,� he stated. However, GRIDCO, generators of electricity in Ghana, have instructed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to shed an additional 400 megawatts across the country. ECG Public Relations Officer William Boateng, who confirmed this to Joy News, said the situation is worse than initially imagined. Explaining the severity of the situation, Mr. Boateng said that shedding 400 megawatts of power is equivalent to cutting power to the whole of the Ashanti, Volta, Eastern and Central Regions of Ghana. Prior to this announcement, many residents and businesses were already struggling with a load management regime that has seen power cuts at least thrice a week for many hours at a time. According to Mr. Boateng, the load shedding does not appear to be based on any timetable. �Depending on the megawatts that GRIDCO says must be shed on a particular day, the lights may have to be turned off,� he indicated. Speaking on Accra-based, Adom FM, the Ashanti regional secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Yamin stated with caution that he expect the President to discourse in his State of the nation address what the proficient of the ECG and GRIDCO have explained to him. �The President should come out there and tell us what they (ECG and GRIDCO) have told him because they are the experts and they should also know they are telling the President the truth for the President to come and tell the people,� he said. Meanwhile, a retired diplomat and Secretary to late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, K.B Asante on Adom FM has expressed worry at the recent blackouts and called on the President to let heads roll.