The Senior Staff Association of the Volta River Authority (VRA) has welcomed the cancellation of the new AMERI power plant deal and the final dismissal of the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, by President Nana Addo, a deal described by VRA as a “curse” on the country.
The chairman of the association, Francis Deku, said the VRA was running the power plant at a loss, and until the plant becomes the property of Ghana, it will continue to affect the financial fortunes of the country negatively.
Speaking on OTEC FM’s flagship political talk show ‘Nyansapo’ on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, Francis Deku, told the host, Captain Koda the deal which was brokered in 2015 by the John Mahama government was characterized with corruption and malfeasance, and they were expecting the new government to renegotiate the deal to benefit the country, which has been a “curse”.
“In less than two and half years the AMERI plant would become a free asset to the nation under the Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT) arrangement, and therefore there is no need for another arrangement that would extend ownership to any other third party interest,” he said.
The VRA workers had demanded the resignation of Boakye Agyako, describing him as incompetent and a man lacking integrity over the reviewed AMERI deal.
President Akufo-Addo fired the Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko, on Monday, August 6, 2018.
The President also instructed the sacked Minister to hand over to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Peter John Amewu, who will act temporarily until a substantive decision is made.
“The proposed new agreement before Parliament would be more expensive than the current arrangement and does not make any financial and economic sense to the nation. The nation has surplus generation capacity and does not require any new long-term take or pay arrangement, more so when it is inimical to the interest of the nation,” Mr. Deku added.
“The simple calculation on the deal clearly shows it doesn’t make business and economic sense to review the existing arrangement to a third party for billions of dollars,” he stated.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah
