Stop Propaganda And Work - NPP Tells NDC

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stop engaging in propaganda and get to work to alleviate the suffering of the people. It said the NDC must also 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, Nana Akomea, 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 the NPP government embarked upon before leaving office. They were: 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. The rest of the power projects were the Aboadze Thermal Plant (T3), Takoradi (NPP secured funding) with a capacity of 136 megawatts, the Osorno (CENIT) Thermal Plant, Tema- 120 megawatts, the Kpone/Zachem Thermal Plant, with a capacity of 220 megawatts, the Akosombo Retrofit of Units 1,2,5 and 6, which increased Akosombo�s capacity from 912MW to 1020MW, completed in 2006. The statement said the NPP, by strenuous efforts, superintended the discovery of oil in commercial quantities, which made possible the availability and production of gas. According to the statement, it is also important to note that the introduction of the energy-saving bulbs freed a colossal 126MW of power whose population would have cost the country a fortune through the building of a generating plant or dam. The bulbs were given out free to Ghanaians. ��All these were bequeathed to the NDC in 2009,�� the statement explained. The NDC, according to the statement, assumed office when there was no load-shedding in January 2009. However, three-and-a-half years into the tenure of the NDC, the nation was plunged into load-shedding (July 2012). �� This load shedding has persisted up to today with varying intensity,�� the statement said According to the same statement, it has taken the NDC five years and still the gas project has not been completed despite several proposed completion dates from the sector minister and his associates, adding that the President himself has given several dates when load-shedding would be over but to no avail. ��It is a reflection of the minister�s ability that the electricity generation has been taken away from his portfolio. We urge him to work harder in his remaining portfolio and do less propaganda,�� the statement said.