Mr. Alfred Thompson, a former Deputy Managing Director of the National Investment Bank (NIB), has pleaded with Ghanaians to be patient with the Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDCo) as it works to resolve the recent power challenges facing the country.
Pressure has mounted on companies within the country’s power distribution chain following recent intermittent power cuts.
GRIDCo in a statement issued on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, GRIDCo called for calm saying, it has no intention of publishing a power rationing timetable despite earlier assurances.
GRIDCo in the said statement disclosed its planned works are not going to be nationwide as being speculated but only in some selected areas.
“Recent media engagements by GRIDCo, about ongoing projects in the power sector, appear to have heightened perceptions of impending nationwide power cuts. GRIDCo wishes to assure the public that it has no intention of embarking on a nationwide load shedding programme,” the company noted.
The company, however, assured Ghanaians of a stable power supply during this stipulated time period.
“GRIDCo is working with ECG, MiDA, and other stakeholders to ensure minimum impact on customers in the affected areas. GRIDCo is assuring all Ghanaians that there is a concerted effort by all stakeholders, led by the Energy Ministry, to ensure a consistent, accessible, and reliable power supply at all times,” it added.
While speaking on Breakfast Daily on Citi TV, Mr. Thompson urged Ghanaians to bear with the power transmission company as it undertakes the planned maintenance.
“This erratic power supply is a huge thing that saddens my heart when I hear about it especially for the businesses like the cold stores, barbers, and the hairdressers that need the power to operate but it’s something that we need to clear and do it once and for all. You realize earlier on GRIDCo came with some information that from June, July and August there was going to be some load-shedding, but they have come back to say that due to what they have put together, there will be no dumsor, but there will be one or two erratic power outages, and we need to manage it.”
“I believe they didn’t want to come with some confine timetable, that will put the whole nation out of electricity, but they’ve mentioned some places to be affected. I think we all know by now that 63 years down the line, some equipment will be obsolete, and we gradually need to change them and bring new ones which processes will require some outages. So I will plead with Ghanaians that, if it’s not going to be like a serious dumsor situation that happened some time ago and affected businesses badly, we should try and bear with it for a month and two.”
He on the show also called on GRIDCo to stick to its timelines so businesses are not adversely affected.
