Any Politician Who Promises To Stop Load Shedding In 2013 Is Lying…It’s Not Possible – Egbert

Legal Practitioner and Managing Editor of the “Ghanaian Observer” newspaper, Egbert Faibille, has scoffed at the National Democratic Congress (NDCs) promise of making loading shedding in the country a thing of the past if their mandate to govern is renewed.

Mr Faibille contends that it’s a complete deception of the electorate since no political party can ever halt the problem of load shedding in 2013.

His remark comes in the wake of the NDC’s promise to put an end to the unbearable load shedding exercise the country is enduring at the moment.

The entire country is currently experiencing irrational and erratic power supply prompted by the shutdown of the Sunon Asogli Power plant after the West African Gas Pipeline which supplies it with its fuel was damaged implying that the amount of electricity generated now is not enough to go round.

Portions of the Togo-Ghana section of the pipeline, through which gas is supplied to the Volta River Authority (VRA) for electricity generation in Tema (Greater Accra Region) and Aboadze, near Takoradi, (Western Region), were romped by a vessel on the coast of Lome, Togo, on August 28, causing a shutdown of the pipeline.

The repair works, according to West Africa Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo), is certain to be completed for work to resume by December 25, but it would require an additional un-estimated number of days to flush water from the pipeline, dry the pipeline and ready it for gas flow to its client, VRA.

But addressing party supporters during the manifesto launch in the Volta Regional town of Ho, on Thursday, President John Dramani Mahama said when the NDC retains power, it will permanently solve the problem of load shedding, adding that the vision of the government is to produce 5000 megawatts of power by 2015.

“Ghana has a comparative advantage when it comes to production of energy. In the second NDC administration, the issue of load shedding will be a thing of the past. It will never happen again. I say this because we have established the foundation to be able to achieve this promise,” he said.

But contributing to discussions on PeaceFM’s “Kokrokoo” Morning Show, the seasoned journalist, who had a stint at the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) before venturing into the law profession, was emphatic that the NDC is just pooling wool over the eyes of Ghanaians since it will be impossible to keep that promise.

Citing regulatory framework, existing power generating plants that are not currently running on full scale, losses incurred in generating power and obsolete equipments to buttress his assertions, Egbert Faibille, pointed out that he is only being a realist and not a pessimist.

“NDC; what do they take Ghanaians for? Saying you can stop the frequent power failure we have in the country by the end of 2013, it will not happen. It is a big lie…Anyone who will say that within the next four, five years they can be able to solve this problem is spewing out lies. We have generational problems; how to generate electricity…for a party in government to go to Ho and tell Ghanaians that in 2013 December, if we are re-elected we will stop load shedding, is untrue. It is not possible. They cannot do it. Any politician who will say that is a lie; don’t go and make promises that will put the utility providers in trouble…” he asserted.