Strong objections have been raised against an attempt by the government to merge the Bui Power Authority and the Volta River Authority into a single state entity.
Members of Parliament who are in recess, at the instant of the majority side, have been recalled by the Speaker for an emergency sitting. On the first day of the sitting on Tuesday, the majority attempted to lay two bills; the Ghana Thermal Authority Bill and the Ghana Hydrological Authority Bill before parliament for consideration.
While the Ghana Hydrological Authority Bill seeks to merge the Bui Power Authority and the Volta River Authority into a single authority, the Ghana Thermal Authority Bill also seeks to merge all the thermal plant authorities in the country into another single entity.
But in a very heated atmosphere on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, Minority Chief Whip and MP for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim vehemently opposed the bills questioning why the papers are being pushed through hastily at a time when the country has less than 100 days to a major general elections. He argued that the timing is not conducive for a proper scrutiny of those bills.
He further raised objections that adequate stakeholder consultations have not been made by the government on the proposal adding that the idea is an affront to President Kuffour’s idea of decentralization authority in the country’s power sector.
“We have 94 days to elections. Mr. Speaker, we are all in our constituencies campaigning, 94 days to the exit of this government. What proper job will be done on this? The chiefs must be consulted, the people must be consulted. Stakeholders must be consulted. Mr. Speaker, I knew it was for a good reason that former President Kuffour decentralized. Why should we be going in the area of reconcentration?” he submitted on the floor of parliament.
In his view, Ahmed Ibrahim alleged that the proposal is an attempt by the government to merge these authorities, list their assets on the Ghana Stock Exchange, and then turn around and buy them, a situation he describes as “state capture.”
“We may not bring efficiency. Mr. Speaker, we must hasten slowly on the laying of these papers. In this era where we have problems with even ECG and PDS, you are saying that you are going to let Akosombo swallow Bui. Where are we heading to?” he quizzed.
He continued, “and why are we in haste? Mr. Speaker, if care is not taken, the information in my constituency is that the government wants to let Akosombo swallow Bui so that the government will bring all the thermal plants together and sell shares and buy them. Is it state capture? Should we allow this one to happen?”
However, Majority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annor Dompreh insisted that the government has not flouted any law or orders of parliament in laying those bills before parliament.
He therefore insisted that the numerous allegations by the MP for Banda are unfounded and baseless describing his opposition as “out of order.”
Meanwhile, Speaker of the House, Alban Bagbin rejected the bills on grounds of lack of sufficient copies.
It is unclear if these controversial bills will be re-laid before the House in the subsequent sittings.
