Edward Bawa, the Member of Parliament for Bongo, has accused the Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, of insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians with his recent comments on the erratic power situation.
This accusation follows Dr. Prempeh’s statement that the recent power outages experienced in parts of the country were not due to load-shedding by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
For months, most parts of the country have witnessed intermittent power outages, affecting both businesses and households.
However, the Energy Minister stated on the floor of Parliament that the power issues are a result of localized outages due to overloaded transformers.
Speaking with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News, Edward Bawa, the ranking member on Parliament’s Energy Committee, expressed his discontent with the Energy Minister’s approach, noting a lack of transparency in addressing the power challenges.
“People have heard him and they have come to realise that it is becoming a character. There is a pattern that is associated with him, that is a lack of transparency and sometimes the insult on the intelligence. Because he did that in Kumasi and again today. Based on his response it was just an insult to Ghanaians,” he stated.
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Meanwhile, an International Project Manager of the Partner Africa project of UmweltZentrum, Schmidt Carola, has called for more investment in solar energy to save the country from the recent power crisis.
She said the abundance of solar energy requires skill training in solar panel installation. She made this known during an inaugural ceremony to highlight the benefits of solar energy and its installation to participants in Accra.
About 300 participants across the country, including students in vocational training, are targeted to be given this skill training.
The aim is to empower them with the technology for sustainable green energy. The skilled training is being offered by a non-profit development organisation, Sequa, in collaboration with partner agencies.
It is being piloted among three schools, including Accra Technical and Training Institute (ATTI).
Madam Carola added that solar energy training will go a long way towards improving the living standards of the participants.
The skill training program is on the theme Collaborating with the private sector to promote employment and enhance working conditions in the electrical sector, with a spotlight on solar PV.
The training will cover areas such as off-grid, on-grid, hybrid, and solar systems.
Madam Schmidt Carola emphasised that, in the pursuit of economic empowerment and finding alternatives to overreliance on thermal and hydroelectric energy, there is the need for increased knowledge of solar energy and its installation.
She said it will help solve the unstable power crisis being experienced in the country.
Madam Carola indicated that industries and organisations are likely to benefit from solar energy when supported and enhanced on a larger scale.
“If we can have this source of energy, which is there every day, we can help reduce the current power cuts with the help of solar installation.”
“It can help all of us, even the companies and industries,” she noted.
The Deputy Director of Partnership Resources and Mobilisation Unit of Ghana TVET Service, Adu Kojo, said participants will gain knowledge and skills that will contribute to reducing carbon emissions. He lauded the initiative and urged the participants to take the exercise seriously.
Participants expressed excitement about the initiative and were optimistic it would broaden their horizons in electrical engineering while improving their standard of living.
