Dumsor: A British energy expert 'lied' Ghanaians, causing us to abandon energy projects — Kwesi Pratt reveals

Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, has revealed the genesis of the energy crisis, tracing it to decisions made after the overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's government.

Contrary to common belief, Pratt emphasised that the energy crisis did not originate from President John Agyekum Kufuor's tenure but from actions taken post-Nkrumah era.

Pratt shed light on the role played by a British energy expert whose counsel led to the abandonment of crucial energy projects initiated under Nkrumah's administration.

On Good Morning Ghana on April 24, 2024, Pratt stated, "The issue of the history of the energy crisis has come up now, and I think it is important we get the history right.

“After the 1966 coup against Nkrumah, the government then brought in a British expert, who insisted we didn't need to expand capacity."

"We stopped the Bui Dam project... The Bui Dam was delayed all this time because of the British expert," Pratt revealed.

Pratt further highlighted Nkrumah's proposal for mini hydro projects across the country, which were also shelved, along with plans for nuclear power generation, including agreements with the Soviet Union, which were scrapped based on the expert's advice.

"At the time, we were considering a nuclear option for power generation and went into an agreement with the Soviet Union that the so-called British energy expert also stopped. That is where our problem began,” he stated.

He added, "The problems in our energy sector-some think it began in the Kufuor administration; it's not true. The crisis was already there before it came. It only hit us in the Kufuor regime.”

Commending the foresight of past administrations, including the Acheampong government, Pratt noted their efforts in undertaking several power-generation initiatives before Kufuor's government.

"In fact, we were very lucky to have had a government with foresight like the Acheampong government, which did several generation plants before the Kufuor government. The problem started with the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah," he emphasised.