Opinions of Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Columnist: Dailyguideafrica

Failed reality check

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Ongoing developments in our energy sector leave much to be desired. Government has failed a reality check as the worsening energy shortfall exposes the many lies churned out to Ghanaians.

The pieces of press releases from the Flagstaff House and propaganda outlets of relevant government agencies have not made the murky subject any clearer. When governance is bereft of candour, it suffers such fate: the fallouts touching every facet of human activity, with the economy being the foremost.

It is unfortunate that Ghanaians would be so ripped off by a government which has spawned an assortment of tales to support its theory about the energy debacle. More mendacious tales are needed to support the main lie.

That is the reality of the energy story; the end of which is indeterminable for now, safe the propaganda end date.

Governance has been so mismanaged that for the ignorant it is the order of politics.

No fallacy surpasses this assertion that the Ivorian success story stands prominent for emulation by men with their thinking caps properly in place.

With many months of multiple assurances about a better tomorrow regarding electricity supply, we are back to square one and government is too scared to allow the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) release a timetable for an ongoing power rationing.

The reasoning behind the blocking of the load shedding timetable can only be the palpable embarrassment government dreads at this time. What a pity!

Whatever happened to the tale about a delinking along the gas supply chain on the high seas and even the death of a worker on the Atlantic Ocean is yet to be told.

The President sought a commiseration from his compatriots for the imaginary death of the non-existent man.

Then came the story about a sabotage whose basis we have neither appreciated nor authenticated.

Authentication of the story is not really necessary because all the theories are underpinned by obvious untruths.

Government has been exposed on many fronts but it is in the energy sector that the wind has really parted the rear feathers of the hen: its anal area visible even to the impaired eyes.

Non-government players, who identified the factors militating against the generation and distribution of electricity, were subjected to inappropriate descriptions by human hounds on the payroll of government.

Indebtedness to Nigeria which under the circumstances, has turned off the supply of the input, is the immediate reason for our predicament.

The variation in the cost of generation between Ghana and her Ivorian neighbor speaks volumes about the unwise economic path we are treading.

The generation challenge is haunting us badly even though government would want this factor to be avoided in all debates about the energy malaise.

The chickens have come to roost since businesses are roasting badly in the fire stoked by inadequate electricity.

Many in the private sector produce under capacity, as others shut down for want of adequate power supply or even outrageous cost of it.

The private sector, under the prevailing circumstances, cannot pretend to be the engine of growth, not at all.