The Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, is facing backlash from Ghanaians over his rejection of calls to implement a load-shedding timetable following the erratic electricity supply.
Already, the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has directed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to furnish it with a load management timetable by April 2, 2024.
In response to the order, the Minister, in an interview on JoyNews, asked Ghanaians to provide their own timetable.
“Let those who want the timetable bring it. I don’t know of any timetable because the ECG has said it is not necessary. Why would someone just wish evil for the country?” he asked.
But his reply did not go down well with a majority of citizens, including political enthusiasts.
Minority spokesperson on energy, John Jinapor, also, in a recent interview on JoyNews, described the minister’s statement as insulting to the populace.
“When the people say the outages are too many, give us the timetable to plan, the Minister says those who are asking for the timetable should go and prepare the timetable themselves. It is extremely unfortunate, very insulting,” he said.
However, the latest to add his comments is political analyst and Fellow Chartered Economist (FCE), Dr. Julius Kwaku Kattah.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning, Dr. Kattah said the Energy Minister’s reaction to the citizens’ demands sounded arrogant.
“When questions are asked, it is not only Ghanaians who are asking the questions. There are foreigners among us. They may not come out to ask you questions like Ghanaians will put those questions because they’re indigenous. But your approach to the answer also tells where we’re going and coming from, and I think that the tone of the minister sounds a little bit arrogant,” he said on Tuesday.
Additionally, Dr. Kattah feels the term ‘dumsor’ (meaning on and off) is not a bad language to have offended the minister to pass such comments.
He noted that being a leader connotes a lot of leadership qualities and is not only about giving out items or satisfying amenities. There are indirect responsibilities of a leader that the political analyst thinks should be taken note of.
The economist also supports the PURC’s request, stating that they have the right to be informed about developments in the energy sector in order to help Ghanaians.
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