2012 presidential candidate of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, has made it clear that the power barges procured by the Mahama administration will not fix the current power cut otherwise known as dumsor in Ghanaian local parlance.
In the estimation of Dr. Nduom, the arrival of the barges will only help manage the situation temporary.
Dr. Nduom made the observation when he spoke to a section of the media in Accra via Google Hangout in the United States of America.
Explaining further, the PPP 2012 flag-bearer said the barges will not help address both the “transmission and distribution challenges of our energy crisis.”
According to Dr. Nduom, he tends to have issues with the President, John Dramani Mahama, when he goes about promising that dumsor will end in six months or two years.
That, he stated, was a demonstration of “bad leadership.”
“…they know perfectly well that they will not be able to fix dumsor within the period that they have given. The power barges will only help manage the situation,” the PPP flag-bearer underscored.
Dr. Nduom, however, reiterated that it will take three-four years to fix the energy crisis.
He noted that solving the energy problem will require that “we deal with the technical, financial, human resource and engineering aspects of it.”
Asked what a PPP administration under his watch will do to solve dumsor, he said he would first tell Ghanaians the scope of the problem and what it would require of “us to be able to address it.”
He said having told Ghanaians the true state of the problem, energy will become his number one priority.
“I will not sleep and will also manage the situation with a sense of urgency,” he affirmed.
He indicated that his administration will then find billions of dollars from within and outside the country to address the problem.
This, he said, represents a huge difference between the PPP and the NDC.
On privatisation of Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) , Dr. Nduom had this to say: “…I personally do not believe in what they [the NDC] are saying as their action is not taking us to the said end which is providing us a stable supply of electricity.”
Touching on the 2016 budget statement, the PPP flag-bearer described it as a “straight jacket budget that is in line with what has been prescribed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
Whilst admitting that he had high regard for Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Seth Terkper, Dr. Nduom was disappointed by what he presented as budget to the country.
He also took a swipe at President Dramani Mahama at his posture on the criticism that his administration was incompetent in addressing the problems confronting the country.
Dr. Nduom opined that he hardly expected that kind of response from President Dramani Mahama having known him for some years.
“It’s important to state that, that was not the [kind of response] we expect from our president and as a president he should learn to take criticism in good faith,” he advised.
Concerning the current internal wrangling in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nduom advised politicians on both side of the political divide to concentrate time and energy on what they will do that will inure positively to the benefit of the good people of this country.
He also underscored the need to treat “our sports men, especially footballers, with respect by paying them for their services.”
This, he said, will motivate them [footballers] to deliver.
“And this will encourage Ghanaians to pay good money to go and watch them,” Dr. Nduom submitted.
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