General News of Friday, 27 November 2015

Source: classfmonline.com

Donkor: Don’t politicise power problem

Dr. Kwabena Donkor, Power Minister Dr. Kwabena Donkor, Power Minister

Power Minister Dr Kwabena Donkor has asked Ghanaians not to politicise the country’s power problems, as the nation counts down to his December 31 deadline by which time he promised to fix the crisis or resign if he failed.

At a stakeholders’ consultation forum on the local content policy on Ghana’s electricity supply industry in the Western regional capital Takoradi, Dr Donkor said the challenge must be tackled as a national issue, irrespective of which government is in power.

He said Ghana buys crude oil and gas in dollars, yet bills in cedis and people turn around to say: “We don’t understand why we don’t have money to buy gas.”

According to him, the sector can only contain the situation for a short while when debts in cedis are not even being paid.

“Must we bury our heads in the sand and pretend we don’t have a problem?” he asked.

“Irrespective of whichever party is in power, we will face this challenge, so, let us put NDC, NPP aside. Those colours mean nothing. Ghana is far more important. We can change Presidents 10 times, if we don’t address the fundamental issue, they will still be there,” he added.