Visiting MPs tour Akosombo dam

Members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly are visiting the Akosombo Dam to obtain first hand information about Ghana's current energy crisis.

The group is in the country as part of a three-nation fact-finding mission to West Africa.

They have been in the country for two days and yesterday paid a courtesy call on President Kufuor.

Prominent among the group are co-presidents, Mrs. Glinis Kinnock, also a member of the European Parliament and Rena Conaki, President of the Gabonese Senate.

Ghana's Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman, Mr Osei Ameyaw, who is leading the group on the tour said the group could recommend for donor support to assist Ghana solve its energy problems.

“We want them to appreciate the dam and the source of our energy and difficulties we are having. We are a member of the group and they have come to Ghana on a fact-finding mission. It is an opportunity for them to see at first hand our source of power… Europe is our biggest development partner so we are hoping that they would be able to appreciate our problems,” he said.

A member of the European Parliament, Glinis Kinnock, said they are interested in knowing how the country manages its energy and what measures are being put in place to end the crisis.

“It is very important that we have the opportunity in your country to see how the prospects are for the future and what proposals are there to ensure how we can use the dam energy for the future to attract investors. It is not just a Ghanaian problem but a world one and I am interested to see how they are done by August,” she said.

The JPA aims among other things at promoting greater economic co-operation between the north and south and build the parliamentary capacity of member countries to enhance the work of the legislature.