Ghanaian petitions US gov’t over ECG privatization

A Ghanaian citizen Richard Asante Yeboah has petitioned the US government over the some aspects of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) privatization deal.

The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) signed an agreement with government to cede part of ECG to private partners under the Power Compact II.

But ECG workers had accused MiDA of acting in bad faith in the entire cession process

Mr. Asante Yeboah told Citi News the deal is not in the interest of Ghana and must be reviewed.

He explained that the petition seeks “to indicate to them and also make it clear to these individuals that there ought to be a full scale investigation into the whole process leading into this ECG concession arrangement.”

Compact II in full force
Meanwhile, the Power Compact II earlier this month came into full force  despite a law sui t against MiDA over the concession of the ECG.

But the Public Utility Workers Union (PUWU) had insisted that MiDA acted in bad faith in announcing the deal because they had objections over aspects of the agreement.

According to the General Secretary of PUWU,  Micheal Adumatah Nyantakyi, the ECG can be made profitable without necessarily handing over the company to a private partnership arrangement under the compact two.

ECG workers protest
ECG workers embarked on a number of exercises including a sit down strike and demonstration in a bid to protest the concessionary arrangement.

Ghana to get over 498m dollars 
Ghana signed the Power Compact with the United States of America acting through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an independent United States government agency, on the sidelines of the US Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington DC on August 5, 2014.

The Ghana Power Compact would provide Ghana with a grant sum of four hundred and ninety eight million, two hundred thousand United States Dollars (US$498,200,000) to improve the performance of Ghana's power sector, unlock the country's economic potential, create jobs, and reduce poverty.

About US$350 million of the grant is being invested in ECG to make the country's power distributor operationally and financially more efficient.

The Compact is being implemented by the Government of Ghana through the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA).

–
By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin