As the nation continues to grapple with its worsening energy crisis, a leading member of the main opposition National Democratic Congress has slammed the government over what he describes as its incompetence, which has plunged the country into the present crisis. A report of The Heritage newspaper says Mr. Ato Ahwoi, one of NDC’s most knowledgeable in energy issues, has also challenged the Electricity Company of Ghana to justify the load shedding exercise going on now. According to him, what the country is experiencing is "electricity problem and not energy problem." Speaking in an interview with The Heritage, Mr. Ahwoi noted that the current problem had exacerbated with the load shedding having moved from 12 hours every five days to the present 12 hours every other day. He said the government, over the years, did not put proper mechanisms in place to ensure a reliable electricity supply; therefore something went wrong. "Now they have realized they are over burdening the lake; hence the worsening load shedding exercise being experienced." He recalled that, in 1998, Albert Kan-Dapaah who was then New Patriotic Party Parliamentary Spokesman on Energy questioned why the NDC, knowing the growth in demand of electricity, had made no attempt to increase the country's generating capacity. Mr. Ahwoi then questioned what efforts this government, formed with Mr. Kan-Dapaah and other NPP leaders, has made to increase electricity production. The NDC kingpin argued further that his party manifesto had clearly stated that, by the year 2020, the country should be aiming at producing 40,000 megawatts of electricity, contrasting that with the NPP whose development plans and budgets he derided for failing to men¬tion any intention of increasing electricity production. Mr. Ahwoi made reference to the July 9, 1998 Hansard of Parliament which recorded some statements by Mr. Kan-Dapaah, who was and still is MP for Afigya Sekyere West, in which the MP described the then energy crises as being the result of governmental ineptitude and inefficiency “which has plunged this country into virtual darkness and in spite of several assurances the energy crisis which should now be described as the energy disaster, continues to exist." At the end of the quotation, Ahwoi queried what the NPP government was doing now since Ghana is experiencing the same condition Kan-Dapaah was so critical about ten years ago. Challenging the ECG to justify the load shedding exercise, Mr. Ahwoi said the current figures on the energy balances do not support the claims by the ECG for the load shedding. He said, in January last year, the Volta River Authority sold just 455,132 GWh of electricity to the EGG; February, 424.227 GWh and in March 470.775 GWh for onward sale to consumers. This notwithstanding, there was no load shedding and, therefore, Ahwoi questioned why there should be load shedding when for January, February and March this year, the VRA sold 438.385GWh, 414.527GWh and 471.161 GWh electricity respectively, quantities which are higher than last year's figures. "Is it that some people are enjoying the electricity while others are suffering? There is something wrong somewhere and it must be looked at," he argued Mr. Ahwoi said it was rather surprising that the ECG was undertaking the load shedding exercise when electricity sales from VRA to ECG had been on the higher side since August last year when the load shedding began. The NDC member said, in the short term, the only way out is for the government to bring in more power generators which only have between one and 2.5 megawatts capacity and would run on diesel at a unit cost of production standing at 24cents per KWh and questioned who would pay for that cost. He said the government should also consider thermal plants that would require 18 months to two years to in¬stall and operate in. the medium term. This, he noted, would use crude oil or natural gas, which Ghana does not have now, until the West African Gas Pipeline (W AGP) is here, saying all that there is to the W AGP is substituting one source of fuel for the other. "Government was not smart enough to bring in more thermal plants and now this is where they have brought us to," he said, adding that he was aware a company by name GECAD and the VRA were putting up a 125 megawatt plant at Tema which, when completed by December, would use crude oil until the WAGP is in. Commenting on the much-talked about nuclear energy, he said it would take a minimum of 10 years to get the first unit of electricity while the hydro would take a minimum of seven years to get the first unit of electricity. He said, while all these are being considered Government should look at the long term solution which must include hydro, thermal nuclear, wind and solar sources of power. Mr. Ahwoi advocated conservation of power; not only by domestic users but by industries, by way of the machines and the motors used and again questioned the whereabouts of the six million CFL energy saving bulbs that the government promised saying, if all households were asked to use the CFL bulbs, the nation could save 30 percent of the power being used now. Source: The Heritage