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A member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament is opposing an assurance by President John Mahama that staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) will not lose their jobs after a possible privatisation of the power company.

Isaac Kwame Asiamah says information available to the Parliamentary Committee suggests some workers of the power distribution company will lose their jobs after a takeover.

“The President must be truthful to Ghanaians. He is inconsistent. He told the whole world that ECG was not going to be sold. Now where we are, ECG is going to be sold,” said Isaac Asiamah, MP for Atwima Mponua constituency in the Ashanti Region.

“The job loss is obvious. We are going to give the management [of ECG] to a private person. So [the new owners] are going to decide what to do with the staff. The number of staff they would want to have – all these things are going to be determined by the would-be management team,” he said.

The President beat an unprecedented turnaround when he suggested that a possible privatisation of the power sector would make it efficient and vibrant, just like the telecommunication sector has become after it was privatised.

He asked Ghanaians to prepare their minds for such a move in the power distribution sector. The sector has been inundated with revenue mobilisation and effective service delivery challenges.

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Meanwhile, Joy News is learning that 30 institutions have applied to manage the power company under a concessionaire arrangement for the next 25 years.

The Mines and Energy Committee has begun a process to scrutinize the proposals from both foreign and local companies.

Job security for current employees of ECG in a possible takeover remains a major concern for them.

However, Vice Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee, Adam Mutawakil, says members will take a critical look at proposals and ensure the jobs of the current staff will be protected.

“It is when we go through the agreement [proposals] and realise that it does not make provision to protect the Ghanaian worker then that is where we will have a problem,” said Adam Mutawakilu.

He however revealed that job security for staff and efficient service delivery will be key considerations in the selection of a potential owner of ECG.