The Ellembelle MP, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has sharply denounced the Akufo-Addo-led government's decision to rename the Ameri Power Plants.
The commissioning of the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant (K1TPP), situated in Anwomaso in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti Region, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17, according to a recent Facebook post by the Volta River Authority.
Buah denounced as "deceptive and shameful" the government's intention to rename the Ameri Power Plants as the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plants.
The MP said in a statement released on Sunday, April 14, that the government's choice to rename the plants is an intentional attempt to hide its failings in the energy industry.
He said that the administration was fabricating historical events and misleading the people about the whereabouts of essential infrastructure.
The Ameri Power Plants' rebranding as the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant is not just a token alteration; rather, it is a calculated effort to twist historical truths and deceive the public about the real source of this vital infrastructure.
See the remark made by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah below.
BUAH writes, *HON. EMMANUEL ARMAH-KOFI BUAH*
* It is dishonest and misleading for AMERI Power Plant to now be known as "Kumasi Power Plant."
The most recent energy sector prank by the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government perfectly encapsulates their tendency toward dishonesty and lack of creativity.
Through the blatant rebranding of the Ameri Power Plants as the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant, they are trying to hide behind a façade of fake accomplishments their ineptitude and lack of real development.
This obvious attempt to take credit for the labors of their forebears by renaming already-existing infrastructure is not only dishonest but also an insult to the intellect of the Ghanaian people.
Under John Dramani Mahama's inspiring leadership, the Ameri power plants were carefully positioned to counteract the crippling power outage known as "dumsor."
With a combined capacity of 25 megawatts, these facilities provided the country with a crucial lifeline at a time of extreme need.
But for their personal political advantage at the time, Akufo-Addo and Bawumia decided to denigrate, disparage, and sabotage Mahama's achievements rather than appreciating the vision and aggressive steps made by the previous government.
Let's go back to the AKUFFO Addo/Bawumia government's second year. In a hurry, they decided to renegotiate the Ameri agreement, extending the 300MW emergency power plant's operator, Africa and Middle East Resources Investment Group (AMERI) Energy, from a five-year contract to a fifteen-year one and dubious associating Mytilineous International Trading Company, a new company from Greece, with plant management for the balance of the contract.
If the NDC minority in parliament and civil society organizations hadn't been so watchful, Ghana would have had to pay more than GHC1 billion under the terms of the new agreement.
The President sacked Mr. Boakye Agyarko, the Energy Minister at the time, after admitting he had been "misled" and shifting the responsibility.
Thankfully, Ghanaians have paid for and are legitimate owners of the Ameri plant.
The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government decided to shift six of the plant's units to Anwomaso in the Ashanti region, with the goal of producing 150 megawatts of power for the country's central belt. However, it was not the end of the drama.
The administration tried to create a veneer of success by producing 150 megawatts of power for the country's central belt while neatly avoiding the larger issues ailing the energy industry.
The rebranding frenzy of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration has now spread to the electricity industry in addition to institutions.
The Ameri Power Plants' rebranding as the Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Plant is more than just a surface-level alteration; it's a calculated effort to twist historical truths and deceive the public about the real source of this vital infrastructure.
Nonetheless, it is crucial that Ghanaians remember the past of the Ameri Power Plant.
The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration's practice of renaming initiatives started by earlier governments is blatant evidence of their lack of initiative and vision in the energy industry.
Sadly, under their leadership, the once-thriving energy industry that President Mahama left to this administration has deteriorated. We are having difficulties right now with Dumsor because of the increased debt brought on by this government.
Ghana's wonderful people need leaders who are dedicated to sincerity, responsibility, and real advancement—not just empty platitudes and showy gestures.
