Influential member of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Gabby Otchere Darko, has thrown a subtle jab at Former President, John Dramani Mahama following earlier suggestions about electricity provisions the latter made.
Former President John Mahama earlier asked the government to adequately resource the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to enable them deliver on the free interventions announced by President Akufo-Addo.
"Considering the new cases being discovered, it is clear that we are entering a new phase where there is the beginning of a horizontal spread of the disease. This requires us to redouble our efforts in the battle against the pandemic. In order for us the people of Ghana to realize the needed benefit from the subsidies on electricity tariffs and water announced, I ask the President to assure and fund ECG and the power producers to enable them to discharge their duties without interruption," he said while speaking at a brief ceremony to hand over food items to 20,000 households affected by the lockdown.
Gabby Otchere, reacting to this, however, cited previous instances where the country's energy bodies; ECG, Gridco and VRA had been fraught with issues, leading to a period of power crisis which was described as 'dumsor' under the Mahama-led administration.
He described the former President's comments as apt, considering he had been there before and knew the consequence of inadequate funding in that regard.
"In 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, you had no COVID-19 to significantly disturb economic activity. What you had was the longest dumsor in Ghana’s history, which significantly disturbed economic activity. And, why did we have dumsor? Mainly because ECG, Gridco, VRA, were woefully underfunded and highly indebted."
"So, yes, the former President knows exactly what he’s talking about when he offers suggestions that this Govt should make sure it funds ECG adequately to avoid dumsor. He knows the consequences of his own inadequacies. Good advice from one who has been there, done it and all..." he wrote in a post on his Facebook wall.
Gabby Otchere Darko