The Minority in Parliament has said President Akufo-Addo cannot ‘steal’ former President John Mahama’s project and still insult him.

According to the Minority, former President Mahama initiated the 161kv Bulk Supply Point at Accra Central.

“The Minority has noted with serious concern the decision by President Akufo-Addo to attack the person of former President Mahama during the commissioning of the 161kv Bulk Supply Point at Accra Central, which President Mahama initiated.

“For the record, the Mahama led government in 2014 requested for grant aid from Japan to construct the 161kv Bulk Supply Point to be located in the Central Business District of Accra, to adequately and reliably meet the high electricity demand in the area, which was growing at a rate higher than the system average of 10% per annum,” the ranking member on Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament, John Jinapor narrated in a stated dated June 15, 2023.

He continued: “We wish to emphasise that all the necessary, regulatory, financial and technical approvals were secured under President Mahama, with actual construction works commencing in 2016 before he handed over power to the current administration. This can be verified from the 2017 and 2018 GRIDCO Annual Reports as well as the “2015 Preparatory Survey Report on The Project for Power Supply To Accra Central In The Republic Of Ghana” published on the JICA website.”

Below is the full statement by the Minority in Parliament:

YOU CANNOT “STEAL” PRESIDENT MAHAMA’S PROJECT AND INSULT HIM; NDC MINORITY TO AKUFO-ADDO.

The Minority has noted with serious concern the decision by President Akufo-Addo to attack the person of former President Mahama during the commissioning of the 161kv Bulk Supply Point at Accra Central, which President Mahama initiated.

For the record, the Mahama led government in 2014 requested for grant aid from Japan to construct the 161kv Bulk Supply Point to be located in the Central Business District of Accra, to adequately and reliably meet the high electricity demand in the area, which was growing at a rate higher than the system average of 10% per annum.

We wish to emphasise that all the necessary, regulatory, financial and technical approvals were secured under President Mahama, with actual construction works commencing in 2016 before he handed over power to the current administration. This can be verified from the 2017 and 2018 GRIDCO Annual Reports as well as the “2015 Preparatory Survey Report on The Project for Power Supply To Accra Central In The Republic Of Ghana” published on the JICA website.

It is therefore surprising that rather than commending his predecessor for initiating the New Bulk Supply Point, described as a gamechanger by the current GRIDCo Board Chair (https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/New-Bulk-Supply-Point-for-Accra-Central-is-a-gamechanger-GRIDCo-Board-Chair-1785623), President Akufo-Addo rather chose the occasion to make baseless, inaccurate and unfounded allegation against former President Mahama.

If President Akufo-Addo truly wants to know who ended Dumsor, he may want to consult his own Vice-President, Dr. Mahamoud Bawumiah who is on record to have stated that Mahama ended Dumsor (https://www.ghanawish.com/mahama-solved-dumsor-but-deserves-no-credit-for-that-bawumia-video/).

If President Akufo-Addo cannot recognise the enormous contribution of President Mahama in the energy sector, the least he could do was to refrain from such unwarranted attacks, particularly at a programme to commission a project which is the brainchild of President Mahama, as the saying goes “you do not bite the hand that fed you”.

The Minority wishes to caution in the strongest terms possible that it will no longer tolerate such unwarranted and pedestrian attacks on President Mahama by this non-performing government in a desperate attempt to tarnish his image.

It is an incontrovertible fact that President John Mahama laid a solid foundation in the Power Sector, with a clear vision of exporting Power as evidenced by the completion of the 330kv Kumasi – Bolgatanga Transmission Project, which has enabled Ghana to export power to neighbouring Burkina-Faso.

On the contrary, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumiah led government, having added no value to the sector, will go down in history as the worst Government as far as the Power sub-sector is concerned.

John Abdulai Jinapor
Ranking Member (Mines and Energy Committee)